Destiny Calls
by MillenniumPrincess
Summary: Retelling of season three, but skipping the virtual arc. The Battle City finals rage to their climax as Millennia's chosen warriors continue to learn about their ties to the ancient past and face their greatest challenges. With trials and troubles at every turn, they must learn everything from their past so they can save their futures.
1. Prologue

Prologue

On the way to the KaibaCorp Island, the crew had forcefully taken a small detour. Everyone onboard had unexpectedly been forced to take on a new journey. Yugi and his friends had been brought to a virtual world that was very much like the one Kaiba built himself. Behind the capture and the adventure was the big five. After failing to trap Kaiba's mind in his virtual game, they instead got trapped and returned for revenge. Kaiba thwarted them once again and soon discovered that ones who were truly behind the scheme were his long lost stepfamily.

With everyone's help, Kaiba stopped his stepfamily from escaping into the real world and virtualizing it. But just because Kaiba had settled his scores with his stepfamily didn't mean he could put it all behind him. Though he was able to face the past he left behind, he was not ready to let it go. Returning to the finals would not make the task any easier either. Things were going to get a lot more personal for Kaiba from here on out. His personal quest was far from over.


	2. Back to Battle City

Back to Battle City

With their virtual quest brought to an end, everyone could finally resume with Battle City finals. The craft was now back on course for KaibaCorp Island. "This is it, Mokuba," said Kaiba. "There are only four finalists including myself and before long, I'll be crowned as the best duelist in the world on the top of my duel tower. And once I win the three Egyptian God cards, I'll have the most powerful deck. And then I'll be respected and feared by every duelist on Earth!"

"Not again," Mokuba groaned. He was getting really tired of his brother's obsession for wanting to return to the championship he once knew. Why can't he just let it go?

"It's only a matter of time before the winner takes all," Kaiba says, ignorant of his brother's annoyance.

It would soon be time to disembark, so the rest of the passengers decided to get together. Joey went to Max's room and saw his little sister sitting at her bedside like she had always been. "Has Max said a word?"

The auburn girl shook her head. "Nothing."

Joey wasn't surprised to hear that. He still couldn't stand what happened back there. "I still can't believe Marik trapped her mind in the Shadow Realm."

"I know," said Serenity. "What did she ever do to him?"

Joey gets down on his knees and holds Max's hand. "Don't worry about a thing, Max. I'll save you," he promised. Knowing the rules of the Shadow Games he witnessed made him understand that the only way to undo the damage was to defeat the one responsible for causing it. More than anything else right now, Joey wanted to face Malik and defeat him.

Fearful of her brother's decision, Serenity begs Joey to be careful.

Ishizu was just as fearful of what was going on. As much as she wanted to save her brother from his dark half, she didn't have the power to fight any longer. There was nothing she could do except turn to those who did have the power to stop this.

Malik intruded into her room. He came to get her to reveal Odion's whereabouts. He still had some personal business to attend to before his constant interruptions. "Tell me, what have you done with Odion?"

"Nothing," Ishizu answered.

Malik wasn't convinced. "I can see through your lies. You're protecting Odion because he has the power to stop me."

"Even if I was, you're the last person I would tell," Ishizu remarked.

Malik held the Millennium Rod close to her to threaten her. "Would you care to reconsider those words?" Ishizu was frightened at that. Without the Millennium Necklace, she could no longer protect herself. "Were you foolish enough to have given up the one thing that could have protected you from me? Not only did the Great Goddess show you the future, but she also shielded you from my shadow magic. Now then, are you going to tell me where you hid Odion or shall I banish your mind to the Shadow Realm," he asked again. Seeing the Millennium Rod close to her face really scared her. Malik could even sense her fear and he admired it. But he decided to let her go for now.

"I have a tournament to win, so I'll deal with you later. Once I win, I'm coming back to finish our conversation. So I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you. Once I obtain the two remaining Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Puzzle, I'll focus my intention on banishing you and the rest of those fools to the shadows. I must say, it's been lovely chatting with you, Sister, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with you in the days to come," Malik said and finally left.

"Good day," Ishizu whispered, relieved to see him finally leave.

Yugi and Emily had easily put their adventures in the virtual world behind them. That allowed them to easily refocus on their biggest worries. They still agreed that the tournament was getting way out of hand and being trapped in the virtual world wasn't being thought of like a vacation meant to take their minds off of it. First Odion paid the price for Marik's crime of angering the Egyptian Gods, then Max's mind was sent to the Shadow Realm, and now Bakura was trapped as well. Yami sensed their concerns and agreed that a lot of people had paid a large price for Marik's evil ways.

"I'm sure Marik's already planning his next move," said Emily. "Why should my friends have to suffer when it's me he wants?"

"He wants _us_ ," Yami corrected her. And by 'us' he meant him, her, and Yugi.

Though he wasn't in control, Emily could still feel his hand on her shoulder. "Well, what's he waiting for?" she asked.

"Marik's trying to weaken us by targeting our friends," he answers. "He knows that in order to try and claim the Millennium Star, he must acquire more power which he can only gain if he can defeat me and Yugi in a duel. So he's taking down our friends one by one in order to break our spirits."

"We can't let him get away with that!" Yugi snapped. "If Marik thinks he can use Millennia's power to bully us, then he'd better think again! Because you and I are going to win this tournament! And when we do - and when Marik's plan fails -, everyone who became his victim will be okay." He releases his tears and finishes by saying, "I know we can do this."

Yami agrees. "When we work together, nothing can stop us. Just as Ishizu said, we have to win this tournament and save the world."

"And I'm going to help you," Emily promised. "That's right. No more holding back for me."

Tea, Tristan, and Duke appeared at the doorway. "It's almost time," said Tristan. "So grab your dueling deck and let's go."

As Yugi and Emily walked outside, Duke peeked inside and saw that Bakura wasn't in his bed. Yugi and Emily lied by saying he needed to step outside and catch some air. What really mattered now was Joey and Yugi getting everyone's support so they could win their duels. Their friends agreed and promised to cheer them on.

The aircraft was finally ready to descend upon the island. It didn't look like much with all the piles of rubble covering the ground. The only thing that looked very amazing was the tower in the middle. Kaiba explained to everyone that he chose this location to be the site of the conclusion of the Battle City finals. It actually used to be the site of the original corporation when his stepfather was still in control. But when Kaiba became the new leader, he tore it all down. When Kaiba's stepfather Gozaboro was still in charge, the company was actually military based and built vehicles and weapons for war. But then Seto became the new leader and turned KaibaCorp into a gaming company, a corporation that stopped bringing about harm and started doing more good. Now the tower Kaiba built stands as a symbol representing his empire and it was where he wanted to be crowned the champion. Plus, on a personal note, he would finally be able to become his own person by no longer being held back by his stepfather's haunting wrath.

Everyone knew Kaiba's personal reasons, but didn't yet fully understand his feelings of torment. It actually didn't seem to be one of their concerns. They still figured that Kaiba's top priority was to finally prove he was the better duelist and take down Yugi. That caused Joey to shoot his mouth off and remind Kaiba that he was part of the tournament too. He even bragged that he finally had a chance of defeating Kaiba this time.

Kaiba still thought that Joey being in the tournament was a joke. "Must you insist on embarrassing yourself, Wheeler? You shouldn't even be in my tournament, you amateur."

Joey was about to snap, but Emily stopped him. "Please try to contain your frustration," she begged. But knowing Joey, he wouldn't be able to. He wanted to take on everyone who made his blood boil and got him ticked off.

They were about to enter the tower until Malik showed up. "It's such a lovely day, isn't it, Pharaoh and Princess? Too bad some of your friends can't enjoy it from all the way in the Shadow Realm."

Before Yami or Emily could say anything, Joey shot his mouth off once again. "You're goin' down!"

"Then let's get on with these duels," said Malik, ready to torment his next victim.


	3. Battle Royale

Battle Royale

The tower didn't provide much space inside despite how tall it was. In the center were four doors to four different rooms. Each of the finalists had to choose a different door to pass through. No one knew what was behind them and didn't know which door to choose. But they didn't think there was a wrong choice. They all passed through their doors and positioned themselves on a platform carrying them to the next floor. Mokuba led the others to the next floor by the stairs.

Roland continued to explain the purpose of all this. It was a preliminary duel to determine who would face whom in the semi-finals. The first two duelists to lose would participate in the first round. As the duelists would lose life points, their terminal would climb higher above the tower. On each terminal was a cable used to connect to the duel disks. The duel would not affect anyone's status in the finals, but it was an all-out match, meaning the players could gang up on each other. But it was set up to make each player choose his opponent.

To decide who would take the first turn in the match, all four duelists had to choose a monster from their deck. The monster with the highest attack points would allow the cardholder to make the first turn. However, the card chosen would be prohibited in the duel. The card Kaiba chose was Masked Beast Desguardias. It had the highest attack points, so he would make the first turn followed by Malik. The monster he chose was Lekunga. Yami chose his Feral Imp and Joey chose his Swordsman of Landstar. Now that the results had been decided, the duel could begin.

Kaiba already decided that he wanted to face Yami in the semi-finals. If he was to have any chance against the Winged Dragon of Ra, he would need the other two Egyptian God cards. As much as Joey wanted to prove his strength to Kaiba, he had more important things worth fighting for like the promises he made to his friends. He promised to help Yami and Emily take down Malik and to rescue Max's mind from the Shadow Realm. Yugi himself was still in doubt. The stakes were too high. But Yami reminded him that they joined the tournament to save the world. Letting Malik win was not an option.

For the first move, Kaiba played a card face down and summoned Vorse Raider in attack mode. Malik summoned Newdoria in defense mode. Yami summoned Big Shield Gardna in defense mode and placed two cards face down. Joey was unable to summon a monster. All he could do was play a card face down.

Kaiba grinned. "Just as I suspected, you don't belong here, Wheeler. So I think I'll do us all a favor and eliminate you from this duel!" His Vorse Raider was about to attack, but Yami stepped in and saved his friend. He played a trap called Regulation of Tribe, allowing him to stop monsters of a certain type from attacking. The type Yami chose was beast-warrior, which was Vorse Raider's type.

"Joey, you and I are a team and I'll always protect you," Yami promised. He didn't want to let Joey have to face Malik in the semi-finals after what happened to the others who became his victims. He turned his attention to Kaiba. "This tournament is far more dangerous than you could ever understand."

But Kaiba wouldn't heed his words. Instead he continued to focus on his strategy on deciding the outcome of the match. Joey found the silence to be disturbing. He assumed everyone was planning their strategies and was worried. After looking at the cards in his hands, he knew he wasn't one to gloat. Seeing Joey look so out of it, Kaiba decided to taunt him once more. "Wake up, Wheeler. An amateur like you can't afford to be daydreaming."

"I was strategizing," Joey debated. It wasn't really a lie. He was considering the promise he made to his friends about stopping Malik and trying to come up with a plan.

"But to do that, you have to know how to play the game," Kaiba teased. "When are you going to realize that you don't have what it takes to compete in my tournament and you never will? And there's only one reason that you made it this far: your little friend Yugi has kept bailing you out. You're hopeless and if you ask me, I'd say that Yugi agrees. Why else would Yugi waste his trap card to protect you, Wheeler? Because he doesn't believe you can protect yourself. And he's right. Not only don't you have the skills to get through this, you're the only finalist without an Egyptian God card."

But it wasn't true. Neither Yami nor Yugi had that opinion about Joey. And though Joey didn't have an Egyptian God card like Kaiba or Yugi did, he was one of Millennia's chosen warriors just as they were and he also played a significant role in the ancient past just as they did. He just didn't know it yet.

But Kaiba wouldn't stop trying to put Joey down. "And Yugi also knows that the only way you'll make it through the semi-finals is if he duels for you. And perhaps he wants to duel against you next round because he knows it's an easy victory."

Yami had enough. "That's a lie!"

But Kaiba kept going. "I think Yugi's afraid to admit he's never believed in you from the start. And I don't blame him."

"Kaiba, this time, your taunting has gone way over the line," Yami told him.

"Well, if you really want to prove me wrong, then why don't you stop protecting your friend and let him duel using his own pathetic skills for a change?"

Listening to Kaiba's words, Joey immediately decides to agree. He appreciated Yami looking out for him, but Joey admitted that Kaiba was right and he needed to prove his strength by holding his own. He wouldn't exactly be living up to his promises either if he was the one who needed to be rescued all the time. Yami respected Joey's choice and warned him to be careful. Kaiba still figured that Joey had nothing to prove and would still lose easily even without help from his friends.

It was now Malik's turn and he already had an idea on who his next opponent would be. He decided to face Yami right away and have Joey and Kaiba deal with each other. He wanted a hasty victory. Malik played a card face down and summoned Lord Poison, a monster with 1500 attack points. Next he decided to attack Kaiba's Vorse Raider with Newdoria. Was this a trick? Newdoria only had 1200 attack points while Vorse Raider had 1900. But it was part of Malik's plan. Forcing Newdoria to attack a stronger monster did cause it to be destroyed, but its special ability allowed Malik to destroy any monster on the field. So Vorse Raider ended up being sent to the graveyard as well. Next, Malik played Spell of Pain, a magic card that allowed him to transfer the damage that would have been dealt to him to another player. He used his card on Joey, causing him to lose 700 life points and raising his terminal. As he got higher above the ground, Joey had a hard time thinking if he should be more afraid of falling down or losing the match.

Yami drew his card and saw that Kaiba was defenseless since he had no monsters left in play; making it the perfect opportunity to strike. He sacrificed his Big Shield Gardna to summon Archfiend of Gilfer. But Kaiba wasn't as defenseless as Yami assumed. He still had his face down card Attack Guidance Armor, a trap that allowed him to redirect whatever attack was being aimed at him to another monster in play. Archfiend of Gilfer's attack had now been redirected to Malik's Lord Poison. To save his monster, Malik played Mirror Force, reflecting the attack once again. Yami activated his trap as well. It was Seven Tools of the Bandit, a card that deactivated Malik's trap and destroyed his monster. Malik lost 700 life points, but the price of using the trap required the cardholder to give up 1000 life points. Now Yami was higher above the ground and in last place.

Finally, Joey was able to summon a monster to the field. It was Gearfried the Iron Knight and he used it to attack Kaiba directly. Joey laughed and cheered for finally being able to strike Kaiba. It made him feel pretty good that he was proving he wasn't amateur after all.

Kaiba recovered from the attack and snarled at Joey. "Wheeler, I assure you that you won't be laughing much longer," he said as his terminal went up. Now the score stood with Kaiba being put in last place with 2200 life points.

Yugi's thoughts echoed in the back of Yami's mind. _Why did Joey attack Kaiba? Now Kaiba and I are closest to the top while Joey and Marik are closest to the bottom_. That made him fear that Joey wanted to face Malik in the semi-finals. And he did. Joey wanted to fulfill his promises and take down Malik once and for all. Joey ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Kaiba's strategy had been altered thanks to Joey. Now either he and Yami had to lose the duel together or make sure Malik and Joey would lose at the same time. But Kaiba wasn't one to force himself to lose a duel, so the second option seemed best for him. He played three cards face down and summoned Blade Knight, a monster with 1600 attack points. He attacked Malik directly, leaving him with 1700 life points remaining.

Back in the aircraft, Serenity remained at Max's bedside holding her hand. "Hang in there, Max," she pleaded. "You're one of the strongest friends I have and you'll get through this." To Serenity, all of her friends were an inspiration to her and Max was no different. She stood up for herself against Malik. Even before this insanity, Max had always looked out for Serenity. Just like when she was there on the day of her surgery, promising that Joey was coming. And when she warned the auburn girl to be careful with some of the guys. Serenity remembered that when she and Max talked, Max confessed that she was surprised that someone like Joey could have a sister like Serenity. The two siblings were the best to each other and Max admired that. Now Joey was fighting with all of his heart just like he did in Duelist Kingdom and this time, he was doing it for Max.

"Hang on, Max," the auburn girl said again. "I promise my brother's going to rescue you. You can count on Joey."

The hourglass was nearly full and Max was become more mindless with each passing second like Malik said. "Joey? Who's Joey?" Max weakly asked. "Where am I?"

"Don't worry, Max. Joey's not going to let you down. He always comes through and he's out there fighting for you right now." _You can do it, Joey. I know you can_.

Ishizu remained on the aircraft as well and was looking after Odion. He was safe thanks to Marik. As Marik's sworn protector, Odion was able to keep Malik contained. But now as long as Odion would remain unconscious, Malik would continue to be in control. Just as it happened long ago when Malik first emerged from within. With Master Ishtar gone, Ishizu was forced to inherit the Millennium Necklace before it was her time to inherit it. At the same time, she was also forced to protect the Millennium Star shard from her brother in case Malik would return. When Ishizu first wore the Millennium Necklace, her eyes had been opened to the future and she saw her brother's destiny unfold.

And her prophecies began coming to pass as Marik continued to reject his duty as a tomb keeper and tread on the path of evil. Marik succeeded in finding and stealing the divine Dragons, but Ishizu retrieved Obelisk the Tormentor in time. "You have arrived too late, my brother. The card you seek is no longer here."

This was an unpleasant surprise for Marik. "If it isn't my sister. What an unpleasant surprise. Tell me, what have you done with the third Egyptian God card?"

Unsurprisingly, she wouldn't answer. "The three Egyptian God cards do not belong to you, nor does the sacred power of the Great Goddess Millennia!"

Marik growled. "I refuse to waste my life serving the Great Goddess by waiting for the pharaoh! It's time for me to take my destiny in my own hands, Ishizu. So hand the card over to me right now!"

"That's enough!" his sister reprimanded. "You're a tomb keeper, remember?"

Marik did remember and in answer, he removed his cloak and turned his back on her. "How could I forget? On the day I received the initiation, I was charged with carrying the secret of the pharaoh's power on my back as our father did before me. Well, that tradition ends here." Before his sister can protest, Marik puts his cloak back on and tells her, "It's no use opposing me, Sister. The power of my Millennium Rod always gets me what I want. So I'll only ask you nicely one more time; what have you done with the last remaining Egyptian God card, my dear sister?"

Ishizu still wouldn't reveal the answer to her brother. "I shall never reveal that!"

Seeing that he wouldn't get it out of her, Marik decided to leave. "I'll find it, Ishizu," he promised her. "And I'll also find the princess even without the Millennium Star shard. You made a very foolish choice today." Then he jumped into the seat next to the motorbike Odion was riding on and they rode away. Watching them ride off, Ishizu silently begs Odion to help Marik. Not to succeed with his evil plans, but to save him from the dark influences clouding his mind.

When the memories finally stop, Ishizu finally begins to understand that these events were destined to occur. Just as Yugi was destined to solve the Millennium Puzzle, Pegasus was destined to recreate the game of Duel Monsters, Kaiba was destined to receive Obelisk and plan the tournament, Emily was destined to receive the Millennium Star and awaken as the princess she was, and Ishizu was destined to give away the Millennium Necklace. These events were not planned by the Great Goddess herself. It was all played by the hands of fate. Ishizu also knew that Millennia's chosen warriors were now awakening to face their destinies. She could only hope that it was her brother's destiny to be rescued from the evil controlling him.

"There is nothing left for me to do but wait. The rest is in the hands of fate. But I pray that Millennia will protect everyone," whispered Ishizu.

The four way duel was confusing to those who were watching from inside the duel tower. It was like everyone was changing their minds on who they wanted to duel. Then again, how could any of them know what the duelists were thinking up there? The score stood with Joey in the lead with 3300 life points, Yami in second with 3000, Kaiba sitting in third with 2200, and Malik dead last with 1700 life points.

It was Malik's turn again and he summoned Dark Jeroid, a fiend with 1200 attack points. It was weaker than the other monsters in play, but it had the ability to lower the attack points of any monster Malik would choose by 800. Malik used his monster's ability to weaken Gearfried the Iron Knight. But just when Dark Jeroid was about to attack, Joey activated Skull Dice. The roll of the die resulted in a two, enough to weaken Malik's monster. But just as Gearfied was about to attack, it was weakened once again. It was a trick Kaiba played by activating Shrink. It wasn't that bad because Joey ended up only losing a hundred life points. But seeing what Kaiba did to hinder Joey and help Malik made most of the spectators decide that Kaiba couldn't be trusted.

Yami drew his card. He agreed with Yugi on not letting Joey be the one to face Malik. Things weren't going all right for him anyway with Mailk and Kaiba ganging up on him. Malik still had Dark Jeriod in play and it was the only thing defending him. Kaiba still had Blade Knight and his two face down cards.

Looking up, Tristan had a feeling he knew what was going on in his friend's mind. Yami's best bet was to face Kaiba in the semi-finals so he could win his Egyptian God card. But then that meant leaving Joey to face Malik in a dangerous match. That would be a disaster and Duke even said that out loud. But he could see it in Joey's eyes that Joey wanted to face Malik.

Tea decided to finally explain it to her friends. "Joey thinks that if he can defeat Marik, he'll be able to rescue Max from the Shadow Realm. He told me so himself."

After Max's loss to Malik, Joey started cursing and scolding himself for failing to protect her. "I was right there when that psycho zapped her and I promised I'd protect her! Damn it!" he shouted, pounding his fist against the wall.

"Joey, wait-,"

"I have no choice," he immediately said. "I've got to save her."

Tea understood Joey's feelings, but she tried to tell him that what happened to Max wasn't his fault. "Please understand, Marik isn't someone you want to mess with."

Joey appreciated Tea for trying to help, but he already made his decision on what needed to be done. "Look, I know if I can defeat that evil freak in a duel, I'll get Max back. I'll take my chances. I know I have what it takes to pull this off, Tea. And besides, I've got you guys to support me."

Tea was still in doubt. "Are you sure about this?"

He was more than he ever was of anything else. "I owe it to Max and to myself to face Marik. If I back away from this fight now, I'll never be able to forgive myself. I gave Max my word that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And Joey Wheeler never breaks a promise to a friend."

Hearing Tea's explanation made the others understood Joey's determination. They also hoped their friend knew what he was doing. They couldn't imagine what would happen if Joey would end up losing to Malik. He was strong, but would he have what it takes to fight against Malik's shadow powers?

Yami was going to have his Archfiend of Gilfer attack Malik's Dark Jeroid, but Joey stopped him. "Listen to me, Yuge, you're making a mistake and I can't let you go through with it. Instead of attacking Marik, you should be attacking me. I know you're just looking out for me, but you can't keep protecting me for the rest of my life. I'll never be able to improve my dueling skills or even prove my strength if you keep going easy on me. The reason I came this far was because I faced the toughest opponents in Battle City. They dueled against me with everything they had and I defeated them all on my own."

Joey had come a long way since the tournament began, but he still wouldn't call himself his own person yet. And to prove himself, he needed his friends to believe in him. "If you really want to help me, Yugi, then treat me just like you would any other opponent. This is a four way duel where we all face each other and I don't want any special treatment."

Malik was becoming tiresome of this. "Let's go. It's time to move onward and I believe it's your move, Pharaoh."

"He's right, Yugi," said Joey. "You're about to attack, so pick your target. And remember, if you really believe in me, then you'll stop babysitting me and treat me like your equal."

"But, Joey-,"

"But nothing," he interrupted. "I have no monsters to defend myself, so your smartest choice is to attack me. If you hold back, that'll just mean to me that you don't think I can do this. So I'm asking you as a friend to attack me." If Joey took the attack, he would stand in last place. Besides, he did have the most life points. It also wouldn't be so bad if Joey lost. The duel would only determine who would face whom in the semi-finals. Joey even reminded Yami of the promise he made to him and Max.

Yami remembered Joey's promise and understood his reasons. So he promised to help his friend this way and that he believed in him. So he carried out Joey's wish and attacked him directly. The blast didn't hurt. Joey actually thought it was the best thing his friend ever did for him. Now Joey was down to 1000 life points, bringing him one step closer to fulfilling his promises.

Joey was ready to end this in his favor. He summoned Axe Raider and was going to attack Kaiba. This confused his friends and made them wonder what he was thinking. Was this part of his strategy? Just as Axe Raider was about to attack, Kaiba activated his Ring of Destruction, a trap that would deal damage to both players equal to the attacking monster's attack points. But Kaiba knew how to avoid taking the damage. He activated his magic card Ring of Defense to reduce the damage to zero and leaving Joey to take the blast instead.

Joey's Axe Raider was destroyed, but Malik took the damage instead and lost all of his remaining life points. The card Joey played on his first turn was Graverobber and he activated it just in time. He used it to play the effects of Malik's Spell of Pain and inflict the damage to his life points. This was an awesome move on Joey's part. He was one step ahead of all of his opponents. As Malik's terminal went to the top of the tower, Joey waved and blew a raspberry at him. Irritated, Malik promised to do away with Joey shortly.

This next move would work in everyone's favor. Joey had no more cards on the field to protect himself and it was Kaiba's turn again. In his eyes, Joey would always be a third-rate duelist. But Joey would be grateful to Kaiba for attacking him. He even grinned at Kaiba as his Blade Knight attacked him directly. Though they had their different points of view on how they wanted this duel to turn out, they both became satisfied with the results. Now Joey would face Malik in the first round of the semi-finals and Kaiba would face Yami.


	4. Joey's Greatest Battle

Joey's Greatest Battle

When Joey and Malik met at the top of the tower, they were ready to set the match underway. "Prepare to enter the shadows. I trust you're ready to join your friend Max," Malik tells him.

Joey wasn't intimidated. He even told Malik so that he had been waiting for this for a long time. "Guess again, Marik. I'm gonna crush you and get her out of that living hell." But this wouldn't be easy. Joey was one of Millennia's chosen warriors, but he wasn't bestowed with any of her powers just like Yugi and Emily were. Malik was since he possessed the Millennium Rod and he could use the powers of the Great Goddess against Joey. Joey was going to have to rely on his own strength and that was what he wanted to do in order to prove his strength and fulfill his promises.

Mokuba and the others were about to head to the tower to watch the action, but Duke stopped and reminded them that someone had to notify Serenity that her brother was about to duel. Tristan decided to go, but Mokuba said it wouldn't be necessary. He decided to use the tower's communication system to call Serenity. She got the call, but insisted on continuing to look after Max. So she asked the others to cheer for her brother for her.

As much as Joey wanted to take down Malik, he had to consider the stakes. If he was to lose the duel, he could also end up losing so much more just as Max had. But he was willing to risk it. Yami even warned him of the same thing, but Kaiba continued to torment him. Going up against the Winged Dragon of Ra in the match wouldn't be Joey's first time. He already experienced its wrath in his last duel, so he knew what he would be up against. Be that as it may, Kaiba still bragged that he was the only one who had what it would take to defeat the Winged Dragon. That wasn't necessarily a lie. He had spent the last few hours studying it carefully. Not just because of his technological knowledge, but because of his ties to the ancient past.

Although Kaiba wouldn't admit that last statement, he still figured it wouldn't hurt to use Joey to see the Winged Dragon in action once again so he could confirm his suspicions. "I'm the only one who can defeat the Winged Dragon of Ra and you're going to help me."

"Fat chance," Joey snorted. "You're the last person I'd ever help."

"You don't have a choice," said Kaiba. "I'll be watching your duel with Marik very closely so I can plan my own strategies and take him down. Once I defeat Yugi, I'll win Slifer the Sky Dragon, giving me two Egyptian God cards in my deck, then I'll be ready to face Marik with you serving as my generous lab rat. The fact that an amateur like you made it this far in my mind still irritates me, but at least you're serving a purpose, Wheeler. Watching you lose to Marik will help me to perfect my plan of crushing the Winged Dragon of Ra."

Joey had enough of Kaiba thinking of using him as a pawn. He had a strong sense of loyalty to the people he cared about, but that didn't give anyone the right to use him like a pawn or treat him like a servant.

Yami spoke up. "Kaiba, you think you have the rest of this tournament figured out. But in order for this scheme of yours to work, you'll have to get past me first."

Kaiba turned to walk away. "We'll soon find out once our duel takes place. But first, Wheeler has a battle to lose."

"I hate that guy," Joey growled to himself. But he had to keep it together and not let Kaiba get in his head. That would allow him to concentrate on his battle. He knew the dangers he would face and the stakes of the match, but he wasn't willing to go back on his promises.

Now everyone was present and the duel could begin. Malik made the first move by summoning Gil Garth, a machine with 1800 attack points. Then he ended his turn by playing a card face down. Joey wasn't off to a good start. None of the monsters in his hand were strong enough to take down Malik's machine. All he could do was play a card face down and summon Alligator's Sword in defense mode.

It had only been one turn, but Malik already decided that it was time to take the duel to the next level by turning it into a Shadow Game. Darkness surrounded the arena and now the stakes became even higher. Not that Joey was surprised. He had a feeling this was coming, but he still didn't like the idea of it. "The shadows hunger for your mind and your soul," Malik tells Joey.

"You don't scare me," Joey lied. Although he had been to the Shadow Realm before, he never participated in a Shadow Game until now. This was his first and many horrors were awaiting him.

Malik could even see the fear in Joey's eyes and promised him that he would meet the same fate as Max. "You're so naïve. Max's mind is permanently trapped and with each passing second, another portion of her mind is absorbed by the darkness," he reminded him. Joey could hear Max's faint cries for help within the shadows. And the weaker Max would become, the stronger Malik's powers would continue to grow. Joey said it was sick that Max had to suffer and Malik was insane for forcing her to.

Joey's friends felt the same way, but there was nothing they could do to step in. Joey had already made up his mind and knowing him, once that was done, it was impossible to change it. And just as Joey promised to rescue Max, Yami and Yugi promised to stop protecting him and let him face his battles on his own. They had to believe that Joey could win with everyone's faith and support.

 _I've got to beat Marik at his own twisted game or lose my mind trying,_ Joey thought. "Bring it on! I'm ready for your Shadow Game!"

"Do you have any idea what you're about to experience? The ancient dark magic I've conjured will devastate you, you poor soul," Malik said and drew his card. This was actually going to be a lot different from Max's duel. As Malik's strength grew, so did his ability of changing the game. As usual, the loser would pay the price of having to be trapped in the Shadow Realm, but there would be bigger prices to pay in the game.

A light flashed and traced its way from Joey to his Alligator's Sword. It was an energy stream connecting the duelist to his monster. Now whenever a monster would be attacked or feel pain, the duelist would be drained of his strength. Finally, Malik summoned Drillago and he was connected to his monsters with energy streams as well. As Drillago attacked Alligator's Sword, Joey felt a pain in his chest like his heart was being crushed. Gil Garth was about to attack as well, but Joey saved himself by playing Scapegoat. Since his lamb tokens weren't necessarily monsters, there were no energy streams to connect to Joey. Malik admitted that he had underestimated Joey's skill, but this was still a test of strength.

Joey summoned Panther Warrior and sacrificed one of his tokens to attack Gil Garth. Malik felt the same pain in his chest, but quickly recovered. He was actually strong enough to handle it. Besides, that attack only took out 200 of his life points. Malik played Tribute Burial, a magic card that allowed him to summon a monster from both players' graveyards and sacrifice them to summon a stronger monster. He sacrificed Gil Garth and Alligator's Sword to summon a monster called Helpoemer. It looked like a dried up blue-skinned man bound to a platform. It had 2000 attack points like Panther Warrior, but Joey had a bad feeling that there was more to this fiend. Finally, Malik ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Joey drew Jinzo from his deck, but he had to play his move carefully. Malik chose not to attack Panther Warrior or the two remaining tokens. That made Joey wonder if Malik wanted him to attack so he could activate his monster's special ability. Rather than play Jinzo, Joey summoned Rocket Warrior instead. This activated Malik's trap Hidden Soldiers, allowing him to summon a monster level four or below. The monster he chose to summon was Plasma Eel. It didn't look like much and had only 500 attack points. But it had the ability of Plasma Grip. The Eel attached itself to Panther Warrior and drained 500 of its attack points. And thanks to the Shadow Game, Joey felt the same pain his feline was feeling as it was being drained of its energy.

The pain was too much, but Joey continued to fight on. "You'll never break my spirit, Marik," he groaned. "I made a promise." _That evil creep can drain my physical strength all he wants, but he'll never take away my determination_. Gathering his strength, he gets back on his feet and yells. Malik was surprised. He expected Joey to be on his knees begging for mercy. It was starting to become clear to him that his opponent was stronger than he took him for. "You can't keep me down as long I have something to fight for!" Joey yelled and ordered his Rocket Warrior to attack. By attacking in its invincible mode, Helpoemer was drained of 500 attack points and Malik felt his monster's pain. Next Joey sacrificed another lamb token so his Panther Warrior could destroy Helpoemer and take 500 of Malik's life points.

The pain didn't bother Malik. In fact, this was what he wanted Joey to do. By destroying Helpoemer, he activated its special ability, transferring the monster to his graveyard. And as long as Helpoemer was in Joey's graveyard, Joey would lose a random card from his hand every turn. The first card Helpoemer took with it to the graveyard was Jinzo, which was unfortunate for Joey. Once again, Malik chose not to attack Joey. He instead just placed two cards face down.

Joey was confused and wondered what his opponent could possibly be planning. He drew from his deck and got Insect Queen. As powerful as it was, it was too risky to summon right away. He instead summoned Baby Dragon in defense mode. He was already impatient with Malik not attacking, so why should he sit and wait? It would actually be more wise to attack so Malik could reveal his card and he could devise a strategy. He used Rocket Warrior's ability to weaken Drillago. By attacking Malik's monster, Joey activated one of his traps. It was Card of Last Will, allowing Malik to draw five new cards. One of the new cards Malik acquired was the Winged Dragon of Ra. It was still Joey's turn, so he sacrificed his last token and had Panther Warrior destroy Drillago. Now Malik stood with 2900 life points remaining. Not that he had anything to worry about. Malik was full of surprises. He activated his second trap Coffin Seller. Now Joey would lose 300 life points for every monster sent to his graveyard. He already lost his first 300 when Helpoemer took his Insect Queen. This was a brilliant strategy. Malik would be able to destroy Joey without having to deal much physical damage and just having to destroy his deck. But Malik wasn't finished. His Plasma Eel was still in play and it drained 500 more of Panther Warrior's attack points.

Just because Malik played his traps and his monster's abilities kicked in didn't mean he had officially taken his turn. He played a card face down once again and activated Premature Burial to resurrect Drillago for the price of 800 life points. But it was a price worth paying because Malik sacrificed his machine to summon the Legendary Fiend. It had only 1500 attack points, but its special ability gave it 700 attack points every turn.

Joey drew Little-Winguard from his deck, but before he could summon it to the field, Malik played Nightmare Wheel to capture Rocket Warrior. It could no longer attack or defend, but Joey still had other monsters to rely on. He played Little-Winguard in defense mode and switched Panther Warrior to defense mode. But though the feline was now defending, Plasma Eel still drained him of his attack points, weakening Joey as well. And every time Malik's turn would begin, Joey would lose 500 life points thanks to Nightmare Wheel in play. Every move was starting to become taxing for Joey. He had to do something to gain control of the duel and prevent Malik from advancing to the final round or he could never rescue Max. Every move now would be based on faith.

Malik drew his card and drained 500 of Joey's life points. Legendary Fiend now had 2200 attack points and destroyed Little-Winguard. Because it was in defense mode, Joey didn't feel any pain from the damage being inflicted. But he still lost 300 life points thanks to Malik's Coffin Seller trap. Malik ended his turn by playing a card face down once more.

Joey had to trust in the Heart of the Cards. It was the only way he would have a chance of turning the duel around. And his faith came through as he drew a magic card called Question and immediately played it. This was a game in which Malik had to guess which was the first monster in Joey's graveyard. If he was right, the monster would be removed from play. But if he was wrong, Joey could summon it to the field. Malik couldn't remember what monster it was because he had devastated Joey's deck too often to even recall. But the truth was it was a monster Joey never played and Malik never saw because it was destroyed by Helpoemer. As Malik remained in silence, Joey summoned Jinzo from his graveyard. And thanks to its special ability, all of Malik's traps were rendered useless. Now Rocket Warrior was free and Joey's life points were more protected.

It was still Joey's turn, so he switched Baby Dragon and Panther Warrior to attack mode. Next, Jinzo attacked Legendary Fiend and dropped Malik's life points down to 1900. But Malik wouldn't give Joey the chance to finish him off. Just when the rest of his monsters were about to attack, Malik activated his Dark Wall of Wind, reducing the damage to zero. Next, Helpoemer took another card from Joey's hand and Plasma Eel drained Panther Warrior's last 500 attack points. Joey had to remember that dueling Malik would be no easy task. He remembered what happened to Max when she dueled against Malik and allowed her confidence to get the better of her.

The card Malik drew from his deck was Lava Golem, a level eight monster with 3000 attack points. Its ability allowed Malik to sacrifice two of his opponent's monsters and summon it to his side of the field. Malik chose to give Joey Lava Golem for the sacrifice of Baby Dragon and Jinzo. As powerful as Lava Golem was, it was actually a very fragile monster and would slowly weaken. With each turn, Lava Golem would melt and lower Joey's life points by 700. Malik played a card face down and continued to goad Joey into attacking him.


	5. The Strongest Fighter

The Strongest Fighter

Serenity didn't want to leave Max, but she couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to her brother. Looking from the window, she saw the shadows coveting the top of the duel tower and knew right away that Joey was facing Malik in a Shadow Game. This made her pray for Joey and Max to be strong. Her brother was a great duelist, but Malik couldn't be trusted.

Just then, Ishizu walked inside. "Serenity, shouldn't you be up there with the others? I am certain your friends could use your support."

"They'll be fine," Serenity answered. "Besides, someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on Max. Ever since she lost her duel to Marik, well, you understand." Ishizu approaches the bedside. "She hasn't said a word for hours," continued Serenity. "Poor Max. My brother's trying so hard to save her. He promised he would, so he's dueling against Marik in a Shadow Game hoping that winning will rescue her."

Ishizu gasped hearing that. Both of their brothers were in danger now and fighting in a duel with the ultimate stakes. Being sisters, Serenity and Ishizu understood each other's feelings and agreed that there wasn't much they could do except be strong and hope for the best. "I know there is still good in my brother and he can be saved from the evil inside of him. And all of the wrongs he's committed will be fixed and everyone he sent to the Shadow Realm will return including your poor friend Max." She slightly smiles at the auburn girl and suggests once again, "Why don't you go and support your brother?"

"But what about Max?"

"I'll keep an eye on her for you," Ishizu insisted. "Why should we both stay?"

"I promised I would for Max," Serenity answered.

"And I promise you she'll be fine," said Ishizu. "So go and be there for Joey." Hearing that, Serenity decides to do so. She thanks Ishizu and heads for the dueling tower. Ishizu was glad that Serenity and Joey shared a strong bond, but she was sad because it had been too long since she last shared that same bond with her own brother. She could no longer see her brother's future. All she could do was pray for him to be rescued from the darkness.

Joey wasn't sure which was worse; being drained of his strength or being trapped in the cage hanging below Lava Golem. This much was certain, he wasn't going to be able to stand the heat for very long. He wasn't able to summon a monster to the field. It seemed to him that his only option was to attack Malik with the card he gave him. Lava Golem launched an attack, but Malik activated a trap called Relieve Monster, allowing him to return a monster to his hand and bring forth a low level monster. Malik's Plasma Eel was still in play and it was the only monster he could call back. Since it was the only low level monster in his hand, he was able to summon it back to the field and defend his life points. And Plasma Eel couldn't be destroyed in battle, so it was like the ultimate shield. It wasn't over yet. Helpoemer took a card from Joey's hand and Lava Golem melted away 700 of his life points.

For Malik's move, he played a magic card called Machine Duplication, turning that one Plasma Eel into three. Panther Warrior had no attack points left, so he was spared, but Rocket Warrior and Lava Golem were forced to meet the same doom by being drained of their attack points and bringing more pain upon Joey. Malik ended the same move in the same way once again by playing a card face down.

It wasn't looking good for Joey. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for very long. Eventually, he would be forced to be on his knees and wanting to yield. But his stubbornness wouldn't allow it. That was Joey. He was half brave, but half crazy. He didn't like punishment, but every attack he endured helped make him stronger. He drew his card and to his delight, it was a mighty warrior called Gilford the Lightning. Summoning him to the field required the sacrifice of three monsters and Joey wouldn't be able to afford that with the Plasma Eels gripping his monsters. But he looked at the Graceful Dice in his hand and figured he could use the card to make this work. It would be risky, but Joey had to take his chance. If he could raise the attack points of the Plasma Eels, it would cancel the effect of Malik's spell and destroy two of the Eels.

The roll of the die resulted in a six, multiplying Plasma Eel's attack points to 3000. And now that Joey's monsters were free, he could sacrifice them and summon Gilford. And by sacrificing three monsters, Gilford could use his special ability to destroy all of Malik's monsters. Plasma Eel's ability wouldn't even be able to protect it from Gilford's Lightning Sword. Now the metal parasite was gone and could no longer hurt Joey or his monsters. Gilford used his special ability, now it was time for him to really attack. But Malik protected himself once again. He played a magic card called Nightmare Mirror, redirecting the attack back at Joey. But it was all right because he only lost a thousand life points and using the card required Malik to discard a card from his hand. The only card he was holding was the Winged Dragon of Ra, so he sent it to the graveyard. But it wouldn't be a total loss for he was about to end the duel and devastate Joey the same way he did Max and Bakura.

Malik played Monster Reborn to revive the Winged Dragon. It lacked attack points, but it had its hidden abilities. The first ability the Winged Dragon activated was its transformation into Egyptian God Phoenix, engulfing itself in its holy flames and becoming invincible. In this mode, Ra can destroy all of Joey's monsters regardless of attack points for the price of a thousand of Malik's life points. Joey wouldn't lose life points, but being attacked by the Winged Dragon would inflict great pain upon him due to the nature of this Shadow Game.

"The time has arrived," cried Malik. "Winged Dragon of Ra, destroy his monster and drain his soul!" And Gilford became engulfed in the Winged Dragon's holy flames. Joey screamed as the burning pain blazed all over his body. There would be no way for him to endure this. When Gilford finally disappeared from the field, Joey felt a pain in his chest like his heart was being crushed and burned. The pulse of the attack flowed through the arena and penetrated the shadows. Serenity felt it on her way and knew right away that her brother was in danger and needed help. The others wanted to stop the duel, but there was nothing they could do.

"When the smoke clears, you'll be nothing left but an empty shell. Without your inner strength, the shadows will consume your mind and your soul," Malik tells Joey as the Winged Dragon disappears. "At least your friend Max won't be alone. You'll be wandering in the shadows together." Looking through the smoke, Malik saw that Joey was barely standing on his feet. "It can't be! No one can withstand the devastating fury of an Egyptian God monster! No one!"

This was a miracle that proved that Joey was stronger than anyone believed him to be. But how long would it last? Joey could barely focus and his vision was slowly turning black. He was about to collapse, but he would not allow himself to do so no matter how far he was pushed past his limits. He knew he had to keep holding on long enough to end this. Now that Malik's turn was over, the Winged Dragon would return to the graveyard, leaving him wide open for a direct attack. All Joey had to do was summon a monster strong enough to take out the rest of his life points. Even Malik knew just as much and it was making him fearful of the thought of losing everything he had been fighting to achieve.

All of Joey's friends cheered for him for his strength and determination. Kaiba couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Was Joey really more than he took him for? He had to admit that what he saw was impressive and Joey wasn't an amateur after all. Weakly, Joey drew Gearfried the Iron Knight from his deck and summoned it to the field. He tried to declare an attack, but everything went dark and he lost his balance and collapsed to the floor. This wouldn't be like last time. There was no fight left in him and his spirit was broken.


	6. The Promise of a Friend

The Promise of a Friend

Joey would not get up off the ground. The time elapsed for him and his unconsciousness was declared a forfeit. Mokuba was the first to get to the arena and try to revive Joey. He gently nudged him, but got no response.

"My brother!" Serenity screamed as she and the others approached him.

"No," Emily whimpered. "No, Joey, no. Please hang on." She immediately began using her healing magic to help Joey, but nothing much was happening. His bruises and scrapes were gone and his temperature was back to normal, but he wasn't waking up. "Why isn't anything happening?" she asked herself. "Joey, please! Open your eyes!"

"Joey, it's me, Serenity," his sister cried. "Tell me you can hear me!"

Tristan picks him up by the neckpiece of his shirt. "You'd better stop kiddin' around and wake up. You're too strong to let Marik get the best of you."

"Keep trying, Emily," Tea begged. "Your magic's got to help him!"

She did keep trying, but Joey still wasn't snapping out of it. "I will not lose you to the Shadow Realm," she vowed. The truth was her magic was only healing his injuries and slowly replenishing his energy. It wasn't keeping him from being taken over by the shadows. Joey would have to save his own spirit.

Malik laughed. "Now that your friend is out of the way, I'm one duel away from world domination, Princess. No matter what spell you try to perform, it won't bring him back. The shadows are engulfing his soul."

Emily looked at him with eyes filled with rage and tears. "When will this madness stop?"

"When the infinite power of the pharaoh and the Millennium Star belong to me," he answered.

"Marik," Kaiba called. "You'll be dueling against me in the next round and I intend to win. Once I defeat Yugi and claim Slifer the Sky Dragon, I'll win the Winged Dragon of Ra. You see, I've studied it quite carefully and I have just the card to do it."

Malik grinned. "Well, it seems you have it all figured out. But you should focus on getting past the next round first."

Kaiba's associates lifted Joey from the ground and got him on a stretcher so they could carry him back to the aircraft. Emily wanted to keep trying to use her magic, but Yami told her she had done enough. Even she knew that, so she finally stopped.

"I've been waiting for this moment, Yugi," Kaiba was telling Yami. "Victory will be mine!"

Yami kept quiet for a second and finally responded by saying, "Right now, Joey needs me. Once I know he's all right, I'll deal with you, Kaiba."

"I'll see you in one hour," Kaiba told him as he and Emily left the arena and headed back to the aircraft. _And I'll take you down once and for all._

Joey was taken back to his room and the medical team immediately went to his aid. One doctor read his charts saying that Joey's brain was functioning normally and his heart rate was stable. He promised that Joey was fine, but he didn't really look like he was. He hadn't moved or spoken since his duel came to an end. Serenity wouldn't stop crying and she continued to beg for her brother to open his eyes.

Joey began having a dream about being somewhere on the streets of town not knowing where he was or what was going on. Just then, he heard Solomon's voice. "There you are, Joey. We've been looking all over for you." Then Yugi, Tea, and Emily came along.

"Where are we going?" Joey asked as Yugi's grandfather pushed him forward.

"Don't you remember?" Yugi asked. "A huge Duel Monsters tournament starts today and you're late for your first duel."

"But aren't we already in a tournament?"

"Yeah, but this is a dream, so don't worry if nothing is making any sense to you right now."

"That's right, Emily, but dream or no dream, if Joey's late for the tournament, he'll be disqualified," said Solomon. Joey thought that might not be so bad because he was feeling a little out of it and needed some rest. But his friends wouldn't allow it. It was the most important tournament of his life. Battle, actually. He had to face a battle to find himself before he could reunite with his friends.

"Strange," said the doctor. "Joey's brain activity is quite high, but he's not conscious at all. To be honest, I've never seen anything like it."

Listening to what's going on, Ishizu knew that Joey was trying to fight the shadows. _Joey's will is very strong. I would not be surprised if he was one of Millennia's chosen warriors._ She places her hands on Serenity's shoulders to console her. The auburn girl continued to cry, wanting her brother to come back.

Mokuba came inside with some bad news. "We can't move Joey to a hospital. I'm sorry, but those orders came from Seto. He says our own doctors are good enough. Besides, our engines are damaged and we can't move." It happened when they escaped from the fortress containing the virtual realm they were trapped in. Mokuba and Kaiba's stepbrother Noah brought down the satellite to destroy the fortress and the virtual world. It brought a great explosion which ended up attacking the aircraft. The ship was able to make it to the island, but now it's too damaged to move.

But Mokuba had another alternative. "Don't worry. I'll radio in for a helicopter to be sent from headquarters." Then he went to the main deck. He tried to contact headquarters, but the signals were weak due to their distance from the mainland.

Looking at him lying on his bed, Yugi couldn't help but blame himself. "It's my fault this happened to Joey. I should have faced Marik!"

"No, Yugi," Yami said softly. It wasn't his fault. Joey wanted to face Malik and therefore brought this on himself. But he was willing to face the dangers.

Emily couldn't stand to see her friends like this; not even Joey. She knew everyone was just letting their feelings go, but she needed to distance herself for a minute, so she left the room and stood in the hall. Yami joined her. Yugi's voiced continued to echo in their minds. "I knew the duel would be too dangerous and I should have stopped him."

"I know," Emily sobbed. "Marik is pure evil! First he got Max, then Bakura, and now this! It's just not fair. I can't bear it anymore," she cries, leaning against the wall.

"We should stop fighting," Yugi suggested. "It only seems to make things worse."

"We can't," Yami told them. "We've come too far. I know this is hard for you and I agree that Marik is the toughest opponent we've ever had to face. But if we walk away now, then he wins."

"That's true," said Yugi. "Joey never gave up and neither can we. We have to finish what we started no matter what."

Emily's pain turns into frustration. "Marik's madness has to stop now," she growls. "He's caused way too much damage already and we are not going to lose another friend!" Letting go of her emotions, fire surrounds her fists as she pounds them against the wall. "Yugi and I won't give up if you won't, Joey. Keep fighting the shadows!"

And Joey did keep fighting. His quest continued with him winning his first duel in the tournament. He was going to keep going until he made it to the end.

To try and help Emily calm down before she hurts herself, Yami rubs her shoulders. It helps her ease up a little and turn down the flame, but she continues releasing her tears. "I know. Marik's path is so unpredictable," he tells her.

"I agree," she sobs. "It's so unclear."

Then Joey's voice echoes in their minds. _"It doesn't have to be. You hold the key."_

Yami stands up straight and asks, "Joey?"

Emily looks around, but sees nothing. "It must've just been wishful thinking." Then the Millennium Necklace starts glowing around her neck. "Wait, of course! The power to see the future is ours now that Ishizu passed the Millennium Necklace on to us." She places her hand close to the Necklace, but pulls it back.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked.

"It's just that the last time Ishizu used the Millennium Necklace to predict the future, it changed. I don't know if we can trust in the power."

"I think we need to trust in the Great Goddess herself more than we need to trust in the Necklace," Yami tells her. "If we do, she will show us the answer."

"Okay," Emily says and holds Yami's hand. _Please, Great Goddess Millennia,_ Emily pleads, _show us the future._ She places her other hand over the Necklace and the vision appears before their eyes. The scene shows Yami and Joey getting ready to duel each other in the city. It was only a small glimpse, but it was enough to tell them that Joey was going to come through this. "We've got to believe in Millennia's prediction," Emily tells Yami. "She's promising us that this insanity will end and Joey is going to be okay."

"She's right," said Yugi. "We just have to get past Kaiba so we can beat Marik."

Then they heard the announcement that the next duel of the semi-finals was about to begin. Before going to the duel tower, Yami and Emily walked back into Joey's room. "How is he?"

"He's just the same, but knowing Joey, he's doing whatever it takes to wake up," said Tristan.

Yami takes Joey's duel disk and places it over his left wrist. "He'll need this. He'd want it for his toughest fight yet. Look after him and I'll return as soon as I can."

"I'm coming with you," Emily said and began following him after performing another healing spell to help Joey. Someone had to go and be there to watch the duel.

"Yugi, Emily, wait up," Tea called as she followed them down the hall. "Are you actually going to go ahead with this duel? Did you forget how many people have gotten hurt in the tournament so far? Please, enough is enough! I can't stand the thought of losing either of you too!"

"We know," Emily said, looking back at her best friend.

"Then just end it," Tea begged. "It's not worth all this suffering! This tournament's been nothing but bad news."

"But if we walk away now, then that means everyone who fought and risked so much will have suffered for nothing," Yami tells her. He and Emily had to have faith in the vision the Great Goddess showed them. To stop the insanity, Yugi had to win the tournament, starting with defeating Kaiba.

"Tea," Emily was saying, "Do you remember what I told you about the day Yami and I went to the Domino museum? That our destinies were tied to the ancient past?"

Tea did remember. "You told me you were a pharaoh and princess in Ancient Egypt and you needed to save the world again from an ancient evil."

"Then do you understand why backing out of the tournament is not an option?" Yami asked Tea.

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing," Emily interrupted. "Yami joined the tournament to fulfill Ishizu's prophecy and stop this evil from endangering mankind. I came along to help him any way that I could. When Joey found out, he vowed to help us no matter how tough the fight or what dangers he would face."

Yami finally turns to face Tea. "And that is why Emily and I must press on. Otherwise, not only would we be giving up on Joey, but we would also be giving up on the entire world. So you stay here and we'll deal with Kaiba."

Duke and Tristan heard what was going on and came out to the hall. "We're right here," Duke promised.

"Go on, Em," said Tristan. "Go with Yugi and we'll stay with Joey."

"We know you can do this," said Tea. Appreciating everyone's support, Yami and Emily thank them and head for the dueling tower. _Because I don't want to think about what'll happen if you don't._ The duel would be a terribly fierce challenge. Yami and Kaiba have never faced each other's Egyptian God card before. Plus, the ancient struggle between them would be playing out again in the duel. Kaiba may think he's the world's greatest duelist, but everything is riding on Yami and Yugi's victory.


	7. Clash in the Coliseum

Clash in the Coliseum

Kaiba spent the entire hour on top of the duel tower waiting for Yami's return. _Thanks to Wheeler's little mishap, Yugi's wasting his time in the medical ward. But even his pathetic friends can't keep him from our duel. For whoever wins faces Marik for the championship._

Rather than join Yami in the elevator, Emily decided to stretch her wings and fly to the tower. _I hope Yami and Yugi won't let Joey's struggle interfere with their concentration. They need to keep it together so they can get past Kaiba._ Then she stops and lands in the arena.

Kaiba was now used to seeing Emily flying around. He still didn't believe she possessed any magic powers, but he decided to bear with the fact that she was flying with wings. "I see you got here before Yugi did."

"He'll be here," she promised him. "To deny this duel would mean denying his destiny."

"Spare me the drama," Kaiba scoffed. "Why didn't the rest of your friends come with you to cheer for Yugi, Briar? Are they all too busy trying to wake Wheeler from his little nap?"

Emily didn't appreciate Kaiba's pessimism and mockery and she just wanted to snap. But she knew that doing so would let her powers get out of control. She instead said, "Joey is in a great deal of danger right now, Kaiba. More than you could ever know."

"Wheeler shouldn't have been here in the first place," Kaiba argued. "I warned him not to play with the big boys and if you ask me, he got just what he deserved; a slap in the face from Ra! And if getting attacked by an Egyptian God card didn't knock some sense into that fool, then nothing will."

He sure got that part a little right. Still, Emily just clenched a fist to what she was hearing. "You still don't realize how dangerous your own tournament has become. The outcome of the Battle City finals could put the whole world at risk."

Kaiba stubbornly refused to heed her words. "The only one at risk is your boyfriend. For once I win, Yugi won't be number one."

Emily wouldn't give up. "Kaiba, it's not always about being number one. It's about dueling with bravery, honor, and respect. And most importantly, putting the people you care about before yourself. And my friend Joey Wheeler did that every day of his life. The reason he's unconscious in a hospital bed is because he put himself in harm's way just to keep a promise he made to his friends," she preached, releasing her tears.

"Pathetic," Kaiba grumbled. "Listen, Briar, Wheeler can do whatever he wants. But I'm in this thing for one reason only and that's to win this tournament and be recognized as the greatest duelist in the world! So why don't you save your girl scout speech for someone who actually gives a damn?"

"She doesn't need to," said Yami's voice, and Emily saw him approaching the arena. "Everything Emily just said is true."

"Regardless, your pal Wheeler never belonged here in the first place," said Kaiba.

 _It's no use,_ Emily thought. _He won't listen to us no matter what we say._

 _It's all right_ , _Emily,_ Yami tells her. _The only way for Kaiba to see reason is for me to defeat him_.

She nods and hugs him to wish him well. _You can do this. I believe in you._

Yami hugs her back and takes his position on the arena.

"Get ready, Yugi," Kaiba cried. "We're about to find out which of our Egyptian Gods will reign supreme! So let the epic battle begin!" Everything has been living up to this moment and Kaiba wanted the duel to go down in style, so he used the holographic systems to create a coliseum surrounding the arena. "Welcome to Duelist Coliseum," Kaiba said as the holographic spectators cheered his name. "You see, guys, in ancient times, Roman gladiators would battle to their doom to prove who was the strongest. Now it's our turn to see which one of us deserves to be called the greatest in the world. So as I said, let the battle begin."

"As you wish," Yami said and drew his card. He summoned a feminine warrior with 1500 attack points and 1600 defense points. Her name was Queen's Knight and she was summoned in defense mode. He ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Was it luck of the draw or was it a twist of fate as Kaiba drew his Egyptian God card on his first turn? Either way, Kaiba assumed that winning the duel would be easier than he thought. Watching the duel, Emily wondered if Kaiba was planning to use the same strategy he used to defeat Ishizu; to devastate his opponent's deck and declare a hasty victory. Yami and Yugi were wondering the same thing as they were looking back on what happened. But then again, knowing Kaiba, he would have a whole new strategy planned for his greatest rival.

Kaiba summoned X Head Cannon, a machine with 1800 attack points. Next, he played Spell Sanctuary, a magic card that allowed both duelists to pick a magic card from their decks and place it in their hands. "Hey, Briar, it looks like you were wrong when you said I never help anyone but myself. I was nice enough to let Yugi choose whatever magic card he wants." The card Yami chose was Change of Heart. Yugi didn't understand why Kaiba would give him instant access to his favorite magic card. Whatever card Kaiba wanted must have been worth the risk. Finally, Kaiba ended his turn by playing a card face down. _Before long, Yugi will be staring into the face of defeat. Soon I'll give my adoring fans something to really cheer about_ , he wondered as he heard his name being cheered. The sound of it was really beginning to irritate Emily. Sure enough, he had an oversized ego.

Yami drew his card and wondered what Kaiba was thinking. X Head Cannon is stronger than Queen's Knight, so why didn't Kaiba attack when he had the chance? But Yami didn't want to spend too much time worrying about it. He summoned Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode and played another card face down.

Everything was in place for Kaiba to go down in a blaze of victory. He played Soul Exchange, giving him control over Queen's Knight and Alpha. That was why he didn't attack last turn. Yami understood what Kaiba was planning, but it wouldn't work this time. He played Change of Heart, giving him control over Kaiba's Cannon. But Kaiba was a step ahead and knew how to get his monster back. He played Enemy Controller and a giant game console control pad appeared. Kaiba paid a thousand life points and entered the command code and X Head Cannon returned to his side of the field. With three monsters again, Kaiba could summon Obelisk the Tormentor, but as he raised the card in the air, Yami played Lightforce Sword to render it useless for three turns.

"What's the rush, Kaiba?" Emily asked, grinning. "The duel's just getting interesting and it's really fun to watch. It wouldn't be very worthwhile if you ended it so fast."

"Shut up, Briar," Kaiba barked. "Your boyfriend may have brought himself a little time, but he'll have to face Obelisk sooner." But his Soul Exchange was no longer in effect now that his turn was over, so Yami regained control over his monsters. Besides, Kaiba had other alternatives to summon Obelisk.

Yami needed one more monster on the field so he could summon Slifer the Sky Dragon. But before he could do that, he had to draw his Egyptian God card from his deck first. Even if he were to switch his monsters into attack mode, they wouldn't be strong enough to destroy Kaiba's Cannon. He had to be patient for now. So he ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Faintly, Emily sensed the presence of another Millennium Item approaching. She turned and saw Malik coming to watch the duel. Hopefully that would be his intention for coming here. She didn't want to take her chances against him even if her powers were stronger than his. She decided to just watch the duel and keep her guard in case Malik would try anything.

When Yami and Emily saw Kaiba summon another machine called Y Dragon Head, they noticed something significant about Kaiba's machines. They belonged to a certain category and had the ability to merge when played together. Together, they formed XY Dragon Cannon, a machine with 2200 attack points. Kaiba also revealed that he had the third monster of the category in his deck and would merge it with his Cannon to make it stronger. Plus, since the machine would be three monsters in one, Kaiba could sacrifice them to summon Obelisk. Yami knew just as much and he had to hurry because he only had two turns left before the effects of his trap would expire.

The Dragon Cannon attacked Alpha. Seeing Yami look flustered, Kaiba decides to torment him. "Afraid of losing in shame, are we? Once a duelist starts thinking about defeat, he's already lost. Perhaps it's time you surrendered your Egyptian God card to me."

"Enough," Yami tells him.

"Interesting," Malik tells himself. "Kaiba seems to be in control. "I'll enjoy seeing the pharaoh squirm."

Hearing Malik's opinion, Emily keeps her comments to herself. Knowing Yami and Yugi can hear her thoughts, she gives them words of encouragement. _The duel is still just getting started. And I know you'll prevail like you always have_. Then she begins to wonder if she should have told them about what she learned the other night when she was asleep.

Kaiba played Lullaby of Obedience, a magic card that allowed Kaiba to choose a powerful monster from Yami's deck and add it to his hand. Obviously, he wanted Slifer the Sky Dragon. "It was only a matter of time before your card went to the hand of a much more worthy duelist," Kaiba says, crossing the arena. His fans cheered his name once again as Yami crossed the arena as well. "My card, please," he softly requests.

"This card will return to me," Yami promises, taking it from his deck and presenting it to Kaiba.

The brunette had his doubts, but he continued to torment his opponent. "I wouldn't feel so bad. Slifer was buried so deep in your deck, you never would have drawn it anyway," he said, walking back to his side of the arena. "Both Egyptian God cards are mine now. Know why? Because everyone gets what they deserve."

"Yes, I agree," said Yami. "And I want to thank you for helping me to claim what I deserve. Knowing how greedy you are, I suspected you would try to take my Sky Dragon. So I was ready." He revealed his face down card Exchange. "I believe you owe me a card, Kaiba, so give Slifer back to me." Looks like Kaiba was the one who was outwitted once again.

Emily would never forget what happened the last time Yami and Yugi played Exchange. It was the first stepping stone they took on their path to rescue Joey from Marik's mind control. Joey fought off Marik's dark power once before because all of his friends refused to give up on him. And also because Millennia herself was with him. And he would come through once again with everyone's help.

Kaiba crossed the arena once again and presented Yami with his card in exchange for one of his own. The card Kaiba chose was a trap called Light Shaffer. Seeing what just happened made Emily appreciate the help Kaiba was offering because it was doing Yami a lot of good. She even smiled as she heard Kaiba's fans cheering for her hero. Just as Kaiba said, Slifer was buried deep, making it impossible for Yami to draw it from his deck. But thanks to his generosity, it's in Yami's hand waiting to be summoned.

But Yami knew the cost of playing Exchange. The effect of the card Kaiba chose would force Yami to discard a certain number of cards based on how many turns the trap would be on the field before activating. And since Slifer's attack points are based on the number of cards in Yami's hand, the Light Shaffer trap could seriously weaken the Sky Dragon.

"Are you going to stand here contemplating your move all day?" Kaiba impatiently asked. "I'm getting bored and I'm sure Briar is too."

Yami made his move by summoning Big Shield Gardna in defense mode and playing a card face down. As Malik was watching, he saw that things were looking hopeless for Yami. He hasn't been doing much to fight back and soon the effect of his trap would wear off.

Back in the aircraft, Serenity continued to pray for her brother to come through. "Come on, Joey," she sobbed. "Keep fighting."

 _Poor Joey_ , Tea wondered. _When did this tournament get so out of control? I mean, why should my friends have to suffer because some evil nutcase can't control his temper?_

Ishizu notices Tea's troubled expression and tells her, "I know it seems we may never be delivered from this darkness, but you must have faith in the light."

Tristan went to the main deck and asked Mokuba what was going on. Mokuba answered by saying that their communication systems were weak. The crew was also working on repairing the damages to the engines.

Joey was still in his dreams about being in a tournament, but he could hear a voice telling him not to give up. "Who said that? And where exactly am I anyway?" Then he looked down at his deck and remembered. "That's right, I'm dreaming about winning a Duel Monster's tournament." It was his turn and he summoned Axe Raider in attack mode. The warrior attacked and destroyed the opposing Petite Dragon, ending the duel. As Joey cheered for himself, he noticed that his friends weren't present to watch him. Things started to get weird for Joey as the spectators in the audience turned into zombies.

It was Kaiba's turn again back in the duel tower. He played a card face down. After that, he summoned the final machine of the category: Z Metal Tank. Now all three of his machines merged together to form XYZ Dragon Cannon; a tank of a monster with 2800 attack points. The tank destroyed Big Shield Gardna. This was actually what Yami wanted Kaiba to do. It activated his trap card Soul Rope, a card that allowed him to summon a level four monster from his deck when a defending monster is destroyed. The monster he chose was King's Knight and now that he was on the field with Queen's Knight, Yami could automatically summon Jack's Knight.

To Kaiba, this was unfair. He was supposed to be in control of the duel and summon his Egyptian God card first. But this is the cruelty of reality. He was never once in control of the duel. Every move he made only helped Yami more than it did for him. As Yami sacrificed his three Knights, the sky became dark and lightning flashed. The Sky Dragon was now in play, but Kaiba wasn't too impressed and remembered all of Slifer's weaknesses.

Yami was holding three cards in his hand, giving Slifer 3000 attack points and making it 200 points stronger than Kaiba's Dragon Cannon. But Yami had to think his move carefully. A hasty attack even with an Egyptian God could cost him. That made him assume that Kaiba's face down card was Light Shaffer and since it's been on the field for one turn, activating it would force Yami to discard one card from his hand. He was in quite a predicament.

But Kaiba's face down trap wasn't Light Shaffer. It was Interdimensional Matter Transporter. Before Slifer's attack could land on the Dragon Cannon, Kaiba's machine disappeared from the field. As the Sky Dragon's attack waved through the entire area, strange pulses were being felt. The pulses were strong enough to restore the aircraft's transmission signals. It turned out headquarters received Mokuba's distress signal and sent a rescue helicopter to the island. Happy to hear that, Tristan left to tell the rest of his friends the good news. Mokuba even managed to be able to watch his brother's duel and broadcast it to the city. After that, he headed to the top of the duel tower to get a better look at the match.

Back at the duel, the effect of Kaiba's trap removed his Dragon Cannon from play for the duration of the turn. To end his turn, Yami played a card face down, weakening his Sky Dragon. Was this a trick? It didn't matter to Kaiba. The effect of Lightforce Sword had now expired, making Obelisk free to be played again. He sacrificed his Dragon Cannon to summon his Egyptian God card.


	8. Clash of the Gods

Clash of the Gods

Two Egyptian God cards were now standing face-to-face. The ancient struggle was being played out just as it did five thousand years ago with the great pharaoh and the mighty sorcerer. No one knows how the battle ended or why it even began. This fight would decide everything. Emily was shaking in her knees as she was watching this. Even she knew that this duel had many ties to the ancient past. That made her want to see how things would turn out.

Right now, Obelisk was twice as powerful as Slifer. But the Sky Dragon had the ability to blast 2000 points of damage to any new monster summoned to the field. So now the Egyptian Gods would be evenly matched. It was still Kaiba's turn, so he placed two cards face down. Yami drew his card, giving Slifer 1000 more attack points. But now that his turn was over, Obelisk's attack points were back to their original value. But Yami activated his face down card Pot of Greed, letting him draw two cards. Now Slifer had 5000 attack points and was stronger than Obelisk once again.

Kaiba protected himself by playing Command Silencer, a trap that deafened Slifer and made him unable to carry out an attack. It also allowed Kaiba to draw a card from his deck. To end his turn, Yami played two cards face down. Now Slifer had 3000 attack points once again. Kaiba drew his card, but before he could take his turn, Yami activated Card Destruction, forcing both duelists to discard their hands and draw new ones. Kaiba still didn't understand the point of this. It didn't change the Sky Dragon's attack points. Yami's second hidden card was a trap called Disgraceful Charity, forcing both players to recover the cards they just gave up. Now Slifer had 6000 attack points and was strongest once again.

This helped Kaiba a lot as well as he got a magic card called Thirst for Compensation. It allowed him to summon two monsters from his hand directly to the field. The monsters he chose were Sword of Soul and Blade Knight. Of course, summoning them activated Slifer's special ability and since both monsters had less than 2000 points, they would be removed from the field. But Kaiba knew how to protect his monsters. He played Card Guard, a magic card that shielded the two monsters for the price of two cards from his hand. It was worth it too because Obelisk could absorb their power to increase his all the way to infinity. But this attack wouldn't work. Yami sacrificed Kuriboh from his hand to reduce the damage to zero and protect his life points. To end his turn, Kaiba played a card face down.

It was Slifer's turn to try to attack, but Kaiba was ready and activated a trap called Power Balance. Now Yami was forced to discard half of the cards in his hand, giving Slifer 3000 attack points. Kaiba, on the other hand, was permitted to draw three cards. Yami wasn't worried. From his hand, he played a magic card called Necromancy. Four of Kaiba's monsters were summoned from the field to the graveyard. Now Slifer's ability would activate and destroy them because they all had less than 2000 defense points. And for every monster destroyed, Obelisk would lose 600 attack points. Now Obelisk had 1600 attack points. But he got 1000 attack points back when Slifer destroyed Kaiba's Sword of Soul. Obelisk tried to attack Slifer once again, but still in vain. Yami protected Slifer with the help of a monster in his graveyard. It was Electromagnetic Turtle and it was one of the cards he gave up when Kaiba played Power Balance. By being sent to the graveyard, the Turtle left behind an electrode and attached it to Slifer, protecting him from Obelisk's attack. Yami played a card face down, leaving Slifer with 1000 attack points.

 _Geez_ , Emily wondered. _I knew the duel would be intense now that the two Egyptian Gods were in play, but I didn't think it'd be this intense. It also doesn't look like the excitement will stop as they keep going back and forth at each other._

Kaiba laughed like he was having fun. _This is the duel I've been waiting for. It's the ultimate battle of intellect and power. Every time I duel against Yugi, I'm pushed to my limits and challenged in every possible way. Even though I defeated him in Duelist Kingdom, he's known as the world's greatest duelist. That title belongs to me. And when I win the Battle City tournament, I'll have it back. It's only a matter of time before Yugi's reputation comes crumbling down at the hands of my Egyptian God card._

With only 1000 attack points, escape seemed impossible from an attack this time. Yami had to take a chance. He played Spell Textbook, a magic card that allowed him to gain a new card for the price of every card in his hand. This was where he needed to believe in the Heart of the Cards. If he didn't get the right card, he would lose the duel. And he would only be able to play the card if it was a magic card. And it was. The card he drew was Card of Sanctity. Now Yami and Kaiba had to draw until they were holding six cards in their hands. Now Slifer had 6000 attack points once again. But Kaiba activated his face down card. This time, it was Light Shaffer, and since it had been on the field for two turns, Yami had to discard two cards from his hand. The Egyptian Gods were evenly matched and wouldn't let up even as their attacks collided. It was releasing a tremendous force of power.

 _What's going on!?_ Yugi wondered.

 _KaibaCorp holograms aren't supposed to do this!_ Kaiba thought as he was watching the Egyptian Gods clash in power.


	9. The Ancient Struggle Plays Once Again

The Ancient Struggle Plays Once Again

Slifer and Obelisk's attacks weren't letting up, releasing more energy and brightening up the entire playing field. "Both Egyptian Gods are evenly matched," Emily said as she went to the arena. "But neither one of them will give up this fight!"

"She's right," said Kaiba. "It must be a holographic malfunction!" But it wasn't. The power of ancient Egypt was being released from the clash. _What's going on? This light is stronger than any my machinery can produce._

As the colliding forces grew stronger, Emily felt a pain in her chest. The Millennium Rod was also acting on its own once again, beyond Malik's control. The Great Goddess was invoking her powers once more. As the light grew stronger, Kaiba, Yami, and Emily felt like they were all being drawn into some strange vortex, yelling as they were falling.

 _What's up with my Millennium Star?_ Emily asked as the pain in her chest was growing. _The_ _struggle between Obelisk and Slifer must have released a great power! But where is the Great Goddess taking all of us?_ The Millennium Puzzle was glowing as well.

"This can't be real!" Kaiba yelled as everyone's surroundings changed. They all finally stopped falling, but remained in the air. Finally, the pain in Emily's chest stopped.

"It looks like some sort of ancient city," Yami said, looking around.

"It's completely destroyed," said Kaiba.

"I know this place," Emily said, recognizing it from her dreams. "Yami, this is our home! Well, what's left of it, it seems. This used to be the Egyptian kingdom we lived in. Millennia must have brought us here."

"What? But how?" Kaiba asked. "How can that be? The three of us were just standing on my duel tower."

Listening to his words, Emily wonders, _Maybe we weren't transported. Maybe this is just a vision from the Great Goddess. But how can Kaiba see this if he doesn't even have a Millennium Item?_ Then she remembered. _Maybe Kaiba is intended to see this because he's one of Millennia's chosen warriors._

 _One of her warriors?_ Yami asked.

 _I'm sorry, Yami, I guess I should have told you sooner. Kaiba's role in this struggle runs deeper than you and I know. He's one of Millennia's chosen warriors like you and I are. That would explain how he's seeing what you and I are seeing._

Looking in the distance, they see stone carvings of Obelisk and Slifer and fly to get a closer look. The detail was incredibly striking. That was because these were the divine beasts. But they all wondered how the both of them were turned to stone.

When lightning flashed, Kaiba looked down at the city. "Look at this dump! It's like no one's lived here for ages."

"Yes, and the entire city is shrouded in darkness," said Yami.

"This must be the aftermath of the tragedy that befell the kingdom," said Emily. Then they all turned around and saw a huge temple. "The darkness seems to be coming from this palace. But what lies within?" As if her wish to know was being heard, she and Yami and Kaiba were transported inside the temple.

Inside the temple, two men were standing across from each other like they were in some sort of confrontation. Looking closely, Emily recognized them as Yami and Seto, the great pharaoh and his best friend who betrayed him. And behind Yami, she saw Queen Mystery trying to calm the cries of her baby.

The sorcerer laughed. "Look at the all mighty pharaoh now! It appears your once prosperous kingdom has crumbled under your feet and is now in the merciless grip of the Dark Lord all because of your little daughter. What turned out to be a blessing for you and your wife was actually a curse in disguise. How does it feel to be virtually powerless?"

"These are the ancient leaders depicted on the stone carving," said Emily.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Kaiba.

"I'm not," she tells him. "Look closely and you'll see that they look just like you and Yami."

"Why have you chosen the Dark Lord's side over our Great Goddess' side?" the pharaoh asked.

The sorcerer chuckled. "Brother, my minions and I have no allegiance to the Dark Lord. However, we have no allegiance to your Great Goddess either. I am simply here to finish our battle and prove my own superiority."

"By using Millennia's power against her," asked Mystery. "But you are one of her chosen warriors."

"I haven't forgotten, my queen. Because of that, she bequeathed the Millennium Rod to me so that I would carry out her wishes. But I will no longer serve a goddess who has fallen with her kingdom."

The pharaoh growls, understanding that the only way to stop this is for him to face his friend. "Even in my darkest hour, I shall defeat you!"

"Then let our duel begin, Pharaoh!" the sorcerer decreed.

"My pharaoh!" Mystery cries.

He turns around and tells her to go. "My love, take our daughter and leave." Hearing his daughter's cries, he says directly to her, "I pray that we will meet again. Until then, live long, Emily."

"What did he say?" Kaiba asked.

The scene was bringing tears to Emily's eyes. "Mother, Father," she whispered.

"Now go!" the pharaoh tells his wife. She nods and leaves the temple, taking their child with her. As the baby's cries fade, the pharaoh turns his attention back to his opponent. "Let's duel."

"The moment I've been waiting for is finally here!" cried the sorcerer. "I will take you down, Pharaoh!"

"Really, Brother?"

"Yes, I shall forever be remembered as he who defeated the pharaoh! Now prepare yourself, for it's time to meet my ultimate beast!" And the tablet of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon appears behind him. "It will show you no mercy. Behold my Dragon!" and the White Dragon comes into battle.

The tablet of the Dark Magician appears from behind the pharaoh. "Now you shall meet my loyal servant! Show yourself, Dark Magician!" And the mage appears in the arena.

"This is the ancient conflict Ishizu spoke of," Emily said as she was watching the duel. _And according to Ishizu, these are Yugi and Kaiba's ancestors_. Then the ancient tablet from the museum appeared. It wasn't part of the scene. Millennia herself was conveying her messages to her warriors. Kaiba and Yugi were destined to battle each other all along! Finally, the scene ends and the three of them are transported back to the duel tower.

When they find themselves back on the arena, the light finally subsides and Obelisk and Slifer are gone. Emily comes to her senses first and sees that the guys are still a little out of it. They were both on their knees panting as they were facing the floor. "Yami, Kaiba, are you guys all right?"

"I'm fine," Kaiba replied. "But what the hell just happened?"

"We were shown the origins of our destinies," said Yami. "Now do you believe in your connection to the ancient past?" It was now clear to Yami that Kaiba was one of Millennia's chosen warriors. And Emily now knew for certain that Kaiba's past was connected to the Millennium Rod. It was also time she told Yami everything she knew before all this.

 _I know who I am. I'm Seto Kaiba, president of the world's largest gaming corporation_ , Kaiba thought to himself. _But I can't seem to get those images out of my head. It seems that no matter what I do, this ancient fairy tale keeps coming back to haunt me. This all started when Ishizu tried to brainwash me with her lies in the museum. Ever since then, my mind has been playing tricks on me. It happened when I dueled against Ishizu and when I began deciphering the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra. But today's visions were the most intense so far. I felt as though my body was transported to another place and time. But it doesn't make any sense. I will not lose my grip on reality!_

Not hearing a response from Kaiba, Emily asked again, "Do you understand the significance of this duel? You saw what you saw because the Great Goddess intended for you to see it. You're one of her chosen warriors just like Yugi and I are."

"That's enough, Briar. All I understand is that I need to win this duel."

 _It's just like in the past_ , Emily thought.

 _What do you mean?_ Yami asked.

 _Like the ancient sorcerer, Kaiba has a lust for power and won't let it go. The only way to stop him as well as save him is to defeat him. And you're the only one who can do it. To continue your path to save mankind, you must first save your friend from the dark influences clouding his mind and soul._

 _She's right. I must help Kaiba_. He raises his voice and tells him. "You can't deny what we all saw!"

"That was nothing more than an illusion!" Kaiba argued.

"You heard Emily. It was a vision from the Great Goddess Millennia. You need to acknowledge the truth that this is fate. Not only are you and I her chosen warriors, but you and I have been destined to duel for five thousand years."

"Whatever," Kaiba growled. "Let's just end this now."

 _Don't give up on him, Yami. We can do this. We can help Kaiba to open his eyes and awaken._ She helps as well and says, "Yami is dueling for so much more than a tournament victory. He's doing it to save the people he loves and to save mankind. And you're one of his friends. No matter how much you stubbornly refuse to listen, it won't stop him."

"You two can believe whatever you want," said Kaiba. "This will be over soon."

"Fine, but if memory serves me, it's still your move," said Emily.

"Now you're making sense," he says and plays a card face down. "I don't need the power of an Egyptian God to see me through this duel anyway."

Yami drew Gazelle from his deck. It didn't have enough power to wipe out the rest of Kaiba's life points. Yami instead summoned it in defense mode. Kaiba's face down card was a trap called Cloning, creating an exact duplicate of Gazelle. Yami ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Kaiba was ready to call forth his most trusted monster, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Summoning it required the sacrifice of two monsters, but Kaiba activated a magic card called Cost Down, lowering all monsters in his hand by two levels. Now he could sacrifice his own Gazelle and it would be enough of a price to pay. The White Dragon attacked and destroyed Yami's Gazelle. "You may as well throw in the towel, Yugi. You don't have any monsters left on the field and unless you can summon a monster with over 3000 attack points, this duel's over!"

There was only one thing to do now. Yami had to bring forth his most trusted monster. It was the only way to face Kaiba's Blue-Eyes based on the images he saw. The card Yami drew from his deck was Monster Reborn and he knew what needed to be done. "Behold the truth. I know Millennia showed you the same vision she showed me and Emily and now I'm about to prove it to you, Kaiba. You and I battled each other five thousand years ago and now destiny has brought us together to duel once again." He played his magic card to resurrect Dark Magician from the graveyard. It was one of the cards he gave up when Kaiba activated Light Shaffer.

Kaiba had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Your move doesn't prove a damn thing!"

"Kaiba, how can you continue to deny your ancient past?" Emily asked. She remembered from her visions that the sorcerer wasn't this stubborn. "Look at the field! Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon are standing face-to-face in battle once again!"

 _Emily, there is still so much about this feud that's unclear_ , Yami thought to her. _What were we even fighting over in the past and who eventually won?_

 _I can't answer because I don't know myself_ , she replied. _All I know is that the ancient sorcerer betrayed the royal family because he wanted to prove he was superior. The pharaoh knew that his lust for power and control would bring about destruction. The pharaoh also knew that the only way to stop his rival was to save his friend. To do that, they had to face each other in a duel. I don't know the outcome of the battle, but I do know that you need to help Kaiba let go of his desires and see reason. To do that, you must win this duel. And hopefully when you do, Kaiba will finally believe in destiny and fully awaken as Millennia's chosen warrior. In the past, Millennia still gave the sorcerer some of her power because she still believed in him. I'm sure the Great Goddess believes in Kaiba too, but she needs our help to awaken him._

But it wouldn't be so easy. Things were actually going to get a lot harder from here on out. Finally, Yami ended his move by playing a card face down. It was all up to destiny now.

"You disappoint me, Yugi. You're putting all your faith in some ancient Egyptian fairy tale. How pathetic. Who knew you'd take it this far?" Kaiba asked. "Someone shows you chicken scratch on an old rock and you use it to dictate your life? I expected more from you. Trust me, you're no pharaoh and Briar is no princess. So both of you stop playing make-believe. You're caught up in the past when you should be concentrating on what's happening right now."

 _What's happening now is part of the past_ , Emily thought, but she knew there'd be no point in saying that out loud to Kaiba. She just watched as he made his turn by playing a card face down and activating Card of Demise. He was permitted to draw until he was holding five cards, but he would soon have to discard his entire hand in five turns. And after carefully observing his opponent's duels and studying his deck, Kaiba had a feeling Yami's face down cards were Magic Formula and Spellbinding Circle. He knew how to render both cards useless. He summoned Lord of Dragons to protect Blue-Eyes from all opposing cards.

Lord of Dragons had less than half the attack strength of Dark Magician, but Yami knew that Kaiba would not give himself away so easily. Still, he had to take his chances and fight. First Yami summoned Beta in defense mode. Then he declared an attack on Lord of Dragons. Kaiba activated a trap called Magical Trick Mirror, allowing him to use a magic card from his opponent's graveyard. The card he chose to use was Monster Reborn so he could resurrect Obelisk the Tormentor. It would only be on the field for one turn, but that was all Kaiba would need. Obelisk intercepted Dark Magician's attack, draining 1500 of Yami's life points.


	10. Joey's Connection to the Past

Joey's Connection to the past

Joey's dream continued to turn into a nightmare as he found himself surrounded by creatures of darkness. They continued to torment him and were about to attack him until the entire place caught on fire and the monsters were being burned. "This is weird," Joey was telling himself. "This fire doesn't hurt." Then the flames are extinguished and Joey sees himself standing in a void. "Wasn't I just in a dueling arena? Man, this dream get weirder with each passing second." A second later, he sees someone coming towards him. It's the same dark-haired girl from before. "Wait a minute, I remember you. You're the girl from that strange vision I had when Marik forced me to duel against Yugi. Fancy meeting you here. But are you real or are you just a figment of my imagination? Either way, you look familiar to me. I can't put my finger on it, but I get the feeling I know you from somewhere before."

The maiden smiles and giggles. "I'm sorry. I can't help but find your confusion to be cute."

Joey blushes hearing that. "I guess I am kinda cute, aren't I?"

"But I owe you some answers, so I'll tell you who I am and why I'm here." Then she and Joey sit down to talk. "I guess I'm familiar to you because I look like your most treasured Duel Monster Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

"Hold on, are you saying that you're Red-Eyes as a human?"

"In a sense," she answers. "My real name is Freya. Five thousand years ago, I was an ordinary girl with a powerful gift. It was both a blessing and a curse. I held the power of the Black Dragon."

"Five thousand years ago?" Joey repeated. "Did you live in Egypt? In a time when monsters and sorcerers threatened to destroy the world?"

"Yes, I did," Freya answers. "Because of my power, I was often accused of being a witch and cursing anyone unfortunate enough to confront me. And then, one day, I met him. He was a royal servant with a strong sense of loyalty and kindness. We fell in love and were happy together. He wasn't even afraid of me or my power." Listening to Freya's story, Joey wonders if it's the same guy from his vision; his ancient self. She continues with her story by saying someone attacked her for her power. Her love tried to save her, but he was too late. Freya had already surrendered herself to save the man she loved. But she promised to always watch over and protect him, so her spirit was sealed alongside the Black Dragon.

"That's a sad story," said Joey. "I'm sorry."

Freya nods. "Yes, I still feel sad thinking about it. But now whenever I'm with you, I feel the happiness and love I once had. I guess that's because you remind me so much of him. You have the same physical appearance and the same determination and character. And in that duel, I realized that you two share a distant connection. What I'm trying to say is the man I fell in love with was your ancestor. And that's the real truth about why I'm familiar to you."

"That explains these warm feelings I started having," said Joey. "In that duel, when I was fighting Red-Eyes, I felt like I was hurting someone I cared about. And in the end, I felt like I was being reunited with my lost love. Now everything makes sense to me." He shakes his head and asks, "Wait a minute, is what you're telling me even real or is this all happening in my head? I can't help but feel like this is all part of my imagination, but it seems so real to me."

Seeing Joey look irritated made Freya start to laugh once again. "It's not about what's in your head, but what's in your heart. I am real, but no longer a part of the world you live in. My spirit does still live with the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, but a part of me also lives within you. Consider me your guardian angel sent to protect you."

"Guardian angel, huh? But I gave my Red-Eyes to Yugi. Shouldn't you be helping him instead?"

"Remember, when I sacrificed myself, I entrusted my power to the man I loved to promise him that I would always protect him. As his descendant, my power was passed down to you. I stand by my word, but I also have an obligation to carry out your wishes. When you entrusted your card to your best friend, I then realized that you truly were the hero of friendship and knew how to responsibly use my gift; by using it to help the people you care about. So yes, my power is helping Yugi. And you and I are both giving him our strength and support."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, hero of friendship? Was that what my ancestor was?"

"To elaborate, he was one of the chosen warriors of Millennia," Freya explained. "And so are you. This journey has helped you to awaken and face your destiny. You now know your ties to the ancient past and how your destiny is linked to your friends' and mine. You've also proven your strength and worth, but there is still something you have to do in order to fully awaken."

"Your friends? Who are your friends?"

"I have some very close friends whose spirits reside within the favorite and most trusted Duel Monster cards of your friends," Freya answers. "The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle is also one of my closest friends. And in the past, we were also chosen by the Great Goddess Millennia to help save mankind from the forces of evil. Now it's your turn."

This made Joey feel a little more cheerful. So it wasn't just his destiny to help save the world because he promised his friends, but because it really was his destiny. "Freya, you said I already proved my strength, but you also said that there's still one more challenge I have to face in order to fully awaken. What do I have to do?"

"Well, since you're the hero of friendship, your challenge can be to be a friend to someone who needs a friend," she suggested. "You're always looking out for the friends you have because you care about them. But there must be someone you care about enough to want to be their friend."

"Someone who needs a friend, huh," Joey said and began thinking. He wasn't sure if he knew anybody who was like that. But he would do anything to achieve his destiny. When he sees Freya standing up, he asks, "Wait, are you leaving?"

She shakes her head. "Never. I will always be with you. Guiding you and protecting you and the rest of our friends. Because now, Joey, your friends are my friends too." She lowers herself and kisses him on his cheek. "Now get back out there and continue your journey. And remember, I'm always with you, even if you can't see me." Then she fades away into the void. As she drifts further away, Joey's surroundings change and he's back in the arena.

"That was weird," Joey tells himself. "But I guess it was also nice meeting Freya. Gosh, who would've guessed my bond with Red-Eyes was deeper than I knew? But now I know, we were together in the past until fate forced us to part. But now fate brought us together again and she'll always be with me and my friends, within the Red-Eyes Black Dragon." He sighs and places his hand close to his chest to feel his heart beating. "Thanks, Freya. I'm glad we're together again."

His concentration is broken once he hears Yugi's voice. "Freya? Who's Freya, Joey?"

"Is that your secret admirer?" Tristan teased.

"No, she's my - wait a minute, where the heck have you guys been? One second, you were cheering me on, and the next, you were gone."

"We're not responsible for whatever happens to us in _your_ dream," Emily reminded.

"So let's thank our lucky stars we're not being chased around by man-eating tomatoes," Solomon joked.

 _This is getting weirder with each passing second_ , Joey thought. _First I'm dreaming about wandering in the city, next I'm climbing to the top in a Duel Monster's tournament, then suddenly a girl from my ancient past appears to talk to me and I don't even know if she is real or if her stories are real or if I made her up or- man, what am I talking about? I'm just confusing myself._

"Anyway, you should get going," said Emily. "Your next duel is about to start and it's the match of the finals."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Joey said. "I'm gonna duel my way straight to the top."

"And remember, everything you need is in your deck," said Yugi. "You just have to believe in your cards and a little bit of luck wouldn't hurt either," he teased.

Joey's dream wasn't interrupted, but Tristan couldn't stand it any longer. When he saw Obelisk was back in play, he lifted Joey from his bed and decided that he needed to see what was going on. Maybe the duel would help him to wake up. "Come on, Joey," Tristan pleaded. "Yugi needs your help and you've got to wake up now."

"Your Egyptian God won't be around for long, Kaiba," Yami said, recovering from the attack.

"That doesn't matter," said Kaiba. "Obelisk has already served his purpose. I won't need him anymore to finish you off." Yami ended his turn by playing a card face down. As established, Kaiba's Egyptian God card was returning to the graveyard. "The wrath of Obelisk may be over, but the worst is yet to come. So I suggest you start living in the moment and forget all that nonsense about the past! But then again, there's nothing you can do to save yourself at this point. As soon as I make my next move, you're history."

 _It can't end like this_ , Emily wondered. _You have to defeat Kaiba so you can stop Marik. Because if he gets all three Egyptian God cards and your Millennium Puzzle, the world could meet the same fate it met in the past._

 _I know,_ Yami thought. _And I assure you, that won't happen. I will win this._


	11. The Strength of an old Friend

The Strength of an old Friend

Joey was still out of it, but he knew he had to keep fighting the shadows. He knew he wouldn't have to do it alone now that he was back together with his friends too. And he had Freya's promise that she and the Great Goddess would be protecting him. He was back in the arena and he and his opponent began shuffling their decks. The referee declared strict rules stating that they would begin the match with 2000 life points and direct attacks were prohibited. When they finished shuffling their decks, they shook hands and took their positions.

The young man made the first move by summoning Neko Gal #1, a feline girl with 1100 attack points. The card Joey drew from his deck was M-Warrior #1, a monster that was a hundred attack points weaker. But Joey remembered everything that Yugi's grandfather taught him about the game. Attack points aren't everything and the key is to combine monsters with spells and traps. Joey summoned his Warrior and equipped it with the Legendary Sword, giving him 300 attack and defense points. By attacking Neko Gal, Joey's opponent lost 200 life points.

It was the brunette's turn again. He played a card face down and summoned Lesser Dragon. It had 1200 attack points, but the kid had a plan waiting in the midst. When Joey's Warrior was about to attack, he activated a trap called Reinforcements, giving Lesser Dragon 500 attack points and dealing 400 points of damage to Joey's life points. "You call yourself a duelist, Wheeler? If that's your best, I'm gonna destroy you 1, 2, 3!"

"We'll see, kid," Joey said as he drew his card. He summoned Tiger Axe in attack mode. "Now let's see what you got." The brunette summoned Steel Ogre Grotto, a rock-type monster with 1400 attack points. Joey saw that his monster was stronger than Tiger Axe. "Come on, this is my dream."

His opponent was confused. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but you'd better wake up, Wheeler, because the worst is yet to come." He merged his two monsters to form Metal Dragon. It looked like a train shaped like a dragon and had 1850 attack points. It coiled around Tiger Axe and crushed it. Now Joey had 1050 life points remaining.

He drew Flame Swordsman from his deck. It wasn't strong enough to stand against Metal Dragon. Until he could find a way to do it, he had to protect his life points. Joey summoned Hero of the East in defense mode. But the brunette played Stop Defense to switch Joey's warrior into attack mode. Now Joey was down to his last 300 life points. The kid ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Joey wished he had a plan. He wasn't sure what to do. The Shield and Sword card he drew wouldn't be of much help because Metal Dragon's defense points were greater than the defense points of every monster in his hand. Then he heard Yugi's advice, telling him to consider all of his possible options. Looking down, Joey realized he was holding a Gust Fan magic card. If he plays his cards right, he just might be able to turn the duel around.

Joey summoned his trusty Flame Swordsman in attack mode. And since Metal Dragon was a wind attribute monster, Gust Fan reduced its defense points to 1500 and raised its attack points to 2250. The brunette was confused and figured Joey had to be crazy to power up his monster. But this was what Joey needed to do to complete his strategy. He played Shield and Sword. Now Metal Dragon had 1500 attack points and Flame Swordsman had 1600 attack points. But as the battle went underway, Joey's Flame Swordsman was defeated. It turned out the boy's hidden card was a trap called Castle Walls and activated when Joey played Gust Fan. The trap raised Metal Dragon's attack points by 500. The result of the battle caused Joey to lose the rest of his life points. But he wasn't too upset about his loss. All that mattered to him was that he did his best. Besides, it was all just a game and all of his friends reminded him that by clapping for him. Even Freya was in the audience smiling and cheering for him.

"Nice duel," Joey said, holding out his hand. "You played some great moves out there."

The boy returned the complement and shook Joey's hand. "That Shield and Sword switch you played out there was great. I'm serious; one of the best I've ever seen. Sorry about all the mean things I said out there."

"It's all good."

"Thanks again for an awesome duel, Wheeler," the brunette said as they parted ways. "I'll never forget that sweet move you taught me. Maybe I'll use it to win the finals. Thank you!" Then everything turned white like the darkness was lifting.

Back in the duel tower, it was Kaiba's turn again. "It's time to bury the past and move on," he said after drawing his card. "If you and Briar want to believe we dueled five thousand years ago, be my guests. But don't waste your time trying to convince me that it's true. I believe in only one thing, and that's my supreme dueling skills, Yugi. Everything else is meaningless. Now then, let's get back to the duel so that I can finally claim what I rightfully deserve: the title that you stole from me, Yugi! I will be known as the world's greatest duelist!"

Kaiba switched Lord of Dragons into defense mode and played Flute of Summoning Dragon to call forth his other Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Kaiba had twice as many monsters as Yami did now. All three of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons could attack and wipe out the rest of his opponent's life points. "This is where it all ends, Yugi. There's no way you can escape the devastating power of all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons. The moment I've been waiting for is finally here!" he said and began laughing.

Then Yami and Yugi heard Joey's voice in their heads. _"It's not over yet, Yuge."_

" _Joey?"_

" _That's right, and I'm here to help you like you're always helping me. It's time I gave back the advice I always took from you: consider all of your possible options. Just look at your hand and you'll find the card that can save you."_

Yami did look down at the card in his hand. He knew that there was still hope. He summoned Red-Eyes Black Dragon from his hand to the field.

Kaiba couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon? Where the hell did that come from!?" It turned out that Kaiba's magic card affects both players in the duel.

"I owe you my gratitude, Kaiba, for helping me to bring forth this card. It was a gift from a very close friend of mine," Yami said as the Dragon screeched. Even Emily felt a sense of gratitude not just towards Kaiba, but for Joey as well. A part of him lived within his favorite card and it was giving his best friend his strength and support. And as if Joey could sense that his card was being played, he was slowly and finally starting to awaken.

"This doesn't change a damn thing, Yugi! I can destroy you and Red-Eyes!"

"Don't be so sure, Kaiba," Emily whispered. All three of Kaiba's Dragons were getting ready to launch their attacks. The first Blue-Eyes aimed its White Lightning at Dark Magician. When the attack was about to land, Yami activated Magician's Selection, protecting his mage from harm. The trap's second effect also sent Kaiba's Lord of Dragons to the graveyard since it was his weakest monster. The second White Dragon attacked and destroyed Beta the Magnet Warrior. The last White Dragon was about to attack and destroy the Black Dragon, but Yami stopped it and weakened it by activating Spellbinding Circle. It was time for Red-Eyes to fight back. Her Inferno Fire Blast engulfed the trapped White Dragon and destroyed it.

Kaiba now had 1900 life points remaining. "You may have saved yourself for now, but this duel is far from done!" He had to admit, that last move took him by surprise. Yami still had a long way to go, but he knew he could win this with the support of all of his friends.

In the aircraft, Joey started stirring and opened his eyes, which caught Serenity's attention. "Look, guys," she gasped.

"He's waking up," said Tristan.

"Come on, big brother," his sister pleaded. "Say something."

Silently, Joey said to himself, "Freya."

"What did he say?" Tristan asked.

Finally, he started coming to his senses. "What's going on? Is this a hospital? Did someone get hurt? Wait a sec, did I pass out? Is that why everyone's so happy to see me?" he asked, noticing everyone smiling at him with tears. The doctor couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was impossible for Joey to recover so quickly in the condition he was in.

The auburn girl ran up to her brother and hugged him. "Oh, Joey," she sobbed. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"You scared us," said Tea.

"Don't ever pull this again, you hear me?" Tristan scolded, but he was too happy to be mad at his best friend and couldn't hold back his tears. "I mean, you had us all really worried. But I knew you would come through."

Everything started coming back to Joey. "I remember now, I was fighting Marik to save Max." He turned around and saw that Max was still lying in her bed. Apparently he didn't remember how his duel with Malik ended. That was why he was begging for Max to wake up. He asked everyone what the result was, but they all kept quiet. "Answer me, guys, and give it to me straight. I beat Marik, right?"

Serenity decided to be the one to tell him. "I'm afraid you lost. Marik won."

He wouldn't believe it. "But I had to have won! I summoned Gearfried the Iron Knight and crushed him!"

"Please, Joey, just listen!" she sobbed. "You were playing a Shadow Game and you almost won, but… Marik was wearing you down by draining your energy. You were able to summon a monster strong enough to beat Marik, but with your last strength. You collapsed before you were able to call an attack," the auburn girl explained.

Joey was about to start sobbing as he was hearing her explanation. "I don't believe this. That son of a bitch actually beat me?" He turned to Max and shed his tears for her. "I gave it my all, Max. I'm sorry. I tried. But this fight is far from over." Though he did what he had to, he still wouldn't stop until Max was back and well. Then he remembered. "Where's Yugi? Did his duel start yet? And where's Emily? She's not here either."

"Emily's watching Yugi's duel against Kaiba," Tea answered.

"What!? Then I gotta get up there and help them both!"

"No, Joey," Tea begged. But there was no point in stopping him. He put his shoes on and made a mad dash out of the room. While he was running through the hall, the rescue team was coming his way. The doctor tried to explain that Joey was in critical condition barely a few minutes ago, but it was plain to see that he was lively and well. Tea continued to beg Joey to listen to the doctor, but he wouldn't. He knew what he put himself through and the dangers the rest of his friends faced, but he had to be there for Yugi and Emily.

"I know I had you all scared, but I came back for a reason," Joey explained. "I made a promise to Yugi and Emily when this whole thing started. I promised to help them defeat Marik and help save the world."

"They _do_ need you," Tea said, remembering what they said before they left. "They both told me."

Joey continued to explain. "It's not about my pride, Tea. It's about being true to my promise. And it's also my destiny to help them. I know that now. Because not only would I be letting my friends down, but I'd also be letting every single person down. If Marik wins this tournament, he'll abuse Millennia's power and cause more damage than he already has. And as one of her chosen warriors, I can't let that happen. None of us can. So my mind is made up. I'm going out there now!"

Joey continued on his way to the duel tower. Since Joey's friends couldn't change his mind, they decided to follow him and keep an eye on him. As usual, Serenity stayed behind to look after Max.

The score in the duel stood with Kaiba having 1900 life points and Yami having 1500 life points. They both had two monsters on the field, but the Blue-Eyes White Dragons were still the strongest monsters in play. Kaiba ended his turn by placing two cards face down. Knowing the dangers Kaiba's Dragons pose, Yami's best option is to protect his life points. He played a card face down and switched Red-Eyes Black Dragon to defense mode. This activated Kaiba's trap Final Attack Order, switching Red-Eyes Back to attack mode. And since it was a continuous trap, all monsters in play were forced to stay in attack mode. Next, both players had to choose three cards from their decks and send the rest of their cards to the graveyard, leaving everything else in the hands of fate.

Yami had to choose wisely. To help him think about what cards to pick, he first decided to think like his opponent and consider what cards he would have picked. Yami wondered if Kaiba would want to resurrect his third White Dragon so he could merge his monsters together to form Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. But there would be no telling for sure if Kaiba would choose the cards for that strategy. Having spent enough time thinking, Yami chose his three cards and decided to hope for the best.

"It took you long enough," Kaiba said impatiently. "Don't you know it doesn't really matter what cards you're holding? This duel is mine! Now stand back," he lowered his voice and continued, "because it's time for the fun part." The card he drew was Monster Reborn and as Yami anticipated, Kaiba used it to revive the White Dragon he lost. Next he played Polymerization from the field. This was half of what Yami anticipated. If Polymerization was already on the field, what other cards did Kaiba choose? Now the Ultimate Dragon was in play and since Yami couldn't switch his monsters to defense mode, one attack meant annihilation.

"I have you exactly where I want you; trembling in fear before my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Yugi, I've played this exact moment in my mind more times than I can even count! And now here we are on the top of my duel tower face-to-face. And all you have to hang on to is your girlfriend's love and some rock from five thousand years ago. But you guys are right; this duel is about the past. But I'm not talking about an ancient battle you think we fought in another life based upon a picture you saw on a stone. When I say this duel is about the past, I mean it's about burying the past for good! And once I defeat you and go on to win this tournament, I'll be number one, not you."

"We've heard you say that enough times already," Emily tells him.

"You don't understand, Briar. It's about so much more. I want to put my past behind me so I can finally focus on my future." He explains his story by saying that ever since he and Mokuba were sent to live in the orphanage in their younger years, they had to fend for each other. To protect his little brother, Kaiba refused to let heart and understanding get in his way and figured the best option was to toughen up with every challenge. Then the brothers were adopted by Gozaboro Kaiba. Focusing his intention on teaching Seto what it would take to run his empire, Gozaboro convinced Seto to trust no one and crush his enemies. But nothing Seto ever did would ever gain his stepfather's appreciation or satisfaction. Eventually, Kaiba put an end to his stepfather's empire using everything he taught him and became the new ruler of the company.

"My stepfather may be gone, but not completely, for his wrath still torments me," continued Kaiba. "There's one conquest I need to fulfill and that's where you come in, Yugi. I'm the best in everything that I do, but when it comes to being the best at Duel Monsters, you are in my way! So once I beat you, I can forget the past for good!"

Mokuba never knew his brother felt so strongly about their past after hearing his explanation. He agreed that things weren't always so easy, but the two brothers still had each other. To Mokuba, his brother wanting to forget the past also meant that Kaiba wanted to forget the person he used to be; a gentle child like everyone else who actually experienced joy and even smiled with compassion. Mokuba actually loved his brother for the kind of person he was back then. And forgetting the past meant getting rid of that person forever. Kaiba shouldn't have to want to be miserable to want to get to the top either.

Emily didn't know she was thinking the same thing Mokuba was, but now she understood Kaiba better as a person. By looking into his heart, she could see his truth and knew the real purpose of his objectives. _It makes sense to me. Kaiba's putting all of this on himself so he can let go of his burdens. But he's doing all of it the wrong way. The more he keeps it up, the more it'll hurt him._

Yami heard her thoughts and agreed. He spoke to Kaiba and told him, "You never cease to amaze me or Emily."

"Why? Are you guys astounded by my superior dueling skills?"

"It's your stubbornness and lust for power and control we find so puzzling," Emily answered. "It holds you back. You'll never beat Yugi or even be able to move ahead with a heart full of pain and mistrust."

As usual, Kaiba continued to be stubborn. "You two are just trying to hold me back because you don't want me to win."

"Why don't I let my actions speak for me?" Yami asked. He revealed one of his hidden magic cards. It was Double Spell, a card that allowed him to duplicate the effects of every magic card Kaiba used in his last turn. He used Monster Reborn to revive Buster Blader and Polymerization to merge him with Dark Magician to form Dark Paladin. The magical swordsman had 2900 attack points, but Buster Blader's effect gave it 500 attack points for every Dragon in play. Now it had 3900 attack points thanks to Red-Eyes and the Ultimate Dragon. The swordsman was still weaker than the Ultimate Dragon, but it was Yami's turn and he was depending on this move. He played a card face down and said it was Kaiba's turn now.

Kaiba laughed as he drew his card. "It's time for me to put an end to my past for good, then I can finally end this and move on."

This was sad for Emily and Yami. "You're such an idiot," Emily scorned. "The past is part of our lives and makes us who we are today."

"She's right," said Yami. "You must remember what you learned from before so you can be prepared for the future. You can't ignore where you came from. Our history shapes our future."

"That's enough, you two!" Kaiba yelled. "It's time to move on, not look back! The past is over and nothing either of you say can change my mind. I need to take you down, Yugi, so that I can achieve true greatness!"

"Look around you, Kaiba," Emily pleaded. "Your duel tower stands surrounded by rubble and destruction. And it reflects your heart, a small force surrounded by anger and hatred, filled with pain and suffering. And with a heart like yours, you will never win!"

Kaiba disagreed. "Don't you know that my inner rage pushes me forward, Briar? And that's what I'll use to crush Yugi!"

"If that's the case, then go ahead and direct all of your hatred towards me," Yami insisted. "And strike me down with your rage."

"Very well, but I assure you, you will live to regret those words!" Kaiba yelled and ordered his Ultimate Dragon to attack. Everything was riding on this last struggle. Yami and Yugi had to trust in their cards, in each other, and in their friends, past and present. It was their destiny to win and it was Kaiba's destiny to fail. The Ultimate Dragon's Neutron Blast was coming in. To raise Dark Paladin's attack, Yami activated his Magic Formula card. Kaiba activated Absorb Spell to absorb the card's effect and raise his Dragon's attack points by 500, giving it 5000 attack points. "I win!"

"Not quite," Yami protested. "I still have one more card to play. Kaiba, you're done!"

"You lie!" Kaiba snarled.

"As you will soon see, I have been destined to defeat you for five thousand years."

"Enough! My Ultimate Dragon cannot be stopped!"

"I'll let my cards speak for themselves!" Yami revealed De-Fusion, turning the Ultimate Dragon back into the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. It also stopped the monster's attack. And for every Dragon in play, Dark Paladin receives 500 attack points. Now the magical swordsman had 4900 attack points. "The card in my hand will now conquer the darkness that surrounds your heart," Yami said, drawing his card. It was a magic card called Diffusion Wave-Motion. For the price of a thousand life points, Dark Paladin was now able to obliterate everything on the field. With this final attack, the White Dragons would be destroyed and Kaiba would lose the rest of his life points. "This duel is over!"

But Kaiba would not accept defeat so easily. "Yugi, I will not be defeated in my own tournament!" he screamed.

"You're too late, Kaiba," Emily whispered, and Dark Paladin released tremendous magic, destroying Kaiba's Dragons and the rest of his life points. "You lose. Yami and I told you that your hatred and lust for power would never prevail." Kaiba was finally beaten, but the toughest fight was still ahead.

Mokuba fell on his knees with his eyes filled with tears. The rest of their friends came and witnessed Yami deal the final blow just in time. When Joey saw Red-Eyes in play, he saw Freya's image as well. She appeared when Red-Eyes turned around and looked at him. She smiled and said, "We did it. We won together."

Joey nods. "Thank you, Freya, for looking out for my best friends." He turned his attention to Yami and congratulated him for his victory. "Way to go, Yugi!"

Yami and Emily turned as they heard Joey's voice. "Joey, you're okay!" Emily cheered. "But how?"

"Millennia was with me helping me fight the shadows," Joey answered. "She knew I'd never let Marik get the best of me and she protected me. Besides, I gave you guys my word that I'd help you beat him, so here I am." Hearing Joey mention the Great Goddess made Yami and Emily wonder if he was one of her chosen warriors. But what mattered most right now was that the gang was together again.


	12. The Hero of Friendship

The Hero of Friendship

Kaiba thought he would reign victorious if he won the tournament and got everything he was fighting for, but it was his destiny to lose the duel. It was the only way to save him from the dark influences and to help him discover the truth about letting everything go. But the task was far from complete and so much more still had to be done. It was true that Kaiba needed to let go of his past in order to truly move ahead, but he wouldn't do it so easily. He wouldn't let go of his obsession for wanting to defeat Yugi either even after they finally had the challenge that would prove who the better duelist was.

"I had the perfect strategy," Kaiba whined.

"My friends and I would disagree, Kaiba," said Yami. "And thanks to my Dark Paladin's attack, you lost."

"No, there must be some mistake." But there was no mistake. Kaiba was fighting for all the wrong reasons and in the end, it was his own anger and jealousy that did him in. _Battle City is my tournament. I designed it so that I would be the ultimate victor. I wanted to put the memory of my stepfather behind me and be crowned the best duelist on top of my duel tower. But instead, Yugi stands victorious._ "I was close," he was telling himself. "Victory was in my grasp. But it slipped away. It's over. I'm nothing."

"What a duel," Joey cheered. "Did you see how my Red-Eyes Black Dragon came through and helped Yugi to win? I know I missed a lot of the action, but I was there for my pal." It was true. Just like a part of Freya lived inside the Black Dragon, so did a part of Joey. And if it wasn't for either of them, Yami and Yugi would have lost to Kaiba. Joey promised that Red-Eyes would come in handy someday and that day was today.

"Seto's out of the tournament now," said Mokuba. "But he came so far."

The brunette continued to put himself down. "I don't get it. My deck was unbeatable. I executed my strategy perfectly; carefully playing each card as I planned. Where did I go wrong?"

"That was the most challenging duel I ever fought," Yami told Kaiba as he approached him.

"Just save it."

"It's true. Destiny chose me to be the victor of the match, but you fought well."

It pained Emily to see the pain in Kaiba's heart. It also made her sad to see him put himself down. "Kaiba, please," she was saying compassionately. "I told you, the more you hold on to your burdens and lustful desires, the more they'll continue to hurt you and hold you back. If you really want to move ahead, then embrace all that my friends and I are offering you. Let go of your obsession for wanting to beat Yugi. You already have what he has; you're recognized as one of the world's greatest duelists. Please, Kaiba, just let it go."

"Will you just fuck off already!?" Kaiba snapped. "I don't need the pep talk from either of you!"

"I see you haven't learned anything from your duel," Emily said, letting the tears flow. "How disappointing. I told you, you'll never succeed or move ahead until you can conquer the darkness in your heart. But you're so weak inside that you can't do it alone. You need help from me, my friends, and the Great Goddess Millennia."

"I've heard enough out of you, Briar," Kaiba snarled.

"Deny the truth and it will destroy you," Emily warned.

"You were doomed to fail right from the start, Kaiba," said Yami. "Fueled by your anger, hatred, jealousy, and lastly, the denial of your past. I, on the other hand, was fueled by my faith in destiny, my friends, and the Great Goddess Millennia. That's how I won. And you will never truly become one of her warriors unless you heed our words and let go of your dark influences."

"Do you understand what we're trying to tell you, Kaiba?" Emily asked. "Yami didn't defeat you on his own. All of his friends helped him and gave him their strength and support. Joey did it through the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Yugi did it by standing beside him, the rest of our friends and I stood with him all the way, and Millennia was also part of all this. You may be one of her chosen warriors, but it was Yami and Yugi who had to prevail in this duel. And like we always say, there are no ordinary Duel Monster cards. They all carry a piece of someone's soul so that the duelist can never be alone."

Kaiba clenched his fist. "Never duel alone? Wake up! Don't you realize that every single one of us is alone in this goddamn world!? Look at me! I've never had anyone watching over me nor have I ever had to ask for help from anyone!"

That wasn't true. As one of Millennia's chosen warriors, Kaiba was watched over by the Great Goddess. She had been trying to help him learn about the past and embrace his destiny. There was more to it than that _. I've helped Kaiba plenty of times before and he's helped me as much. In fact, I wouldn't be the duelist I am today if he hadn't pushed me to be my best_ , Yugi wondered. This whole adventure would never be so if Yugi and Kaiba never had their first duel either. _He may be one of my toughest rivals, but I also consider him one of my friends, and I bet that deep down, Kaiba feels the same way about me. He's just too caught up in his need for power to realize it._

Even Emily could see in Kaiba's heart that the brunette actually did care about Yugi and the others. He just wasn't willing to open his heart to them. Despite the pain Kaiba was causing, Emily had hopes for him and wouldn't give up. "Do you really not consider anyone your friend, Kaiba?"

"Friendship is for fools, Briar," he answered. "I told you, I fight alone. Depending on others is for the weak. So keep your friendships to yourself. I'm not interested in having any pals or some made-believe goddess to slow me down!"

"That's just sad," Emily sobbed.

Kaiba paid no mind to her hurt emotions. He just decided that it was time for him to accept his defeat like a man. "Since there's no one I rely on but myself, there's no one I can blame but myself." He removed Obelisk the Tormentor from his deck and presented it to Yami.

Hearing Kaiba talk about rejecting friendship and Millennia's guidance and support made Joey feel disgusted. He felt like he had to do something as the hero of friendship. Then he had a suggestion. "Hold on, Kaiba. Why don't you duel me? We'll see which of us is a better warrior. Unless you're scared of losing to me." Kaiba scoffed and headed for the stairs. Joey blocked his path. "I asked you a question."

"Get out of my way, Wheeler."

"You think you're too good for the rest of us, don't you? Well, I used to be a stubborn bastard just like you are." Joey remembered how he was a bully and always thought that fighting was the only solution in every challenge, but deep down, he felt alone and didn't like what he was doing. When he was in a battle he couldn't handle on his own, Yugi came to his rescue and it was because of this that Joey learned what it meant to be a true friend and care about someone. That was how friendship came to be his element.

"Now I realize that looking out for each other makes us stronger," continued Joey. "Yugi changed my life and me. And I've seen my pal stick his neck out for you too. Even Emily has been going out of her way to try to be your friend. And did you ever once say 'thank you' to either of them? Not that I ever heard. Trust me, you need friends. Take away all of your flunkies and who will you have left to stand by you?" Then he remembered Freya's suggestion; be a friend to someone who needs a friend. Kaiba was the one for the challenge. By taking this challenge, a yellow light shined on Joey's forehead, revealing the Egyptian symbol of friendship.

"Please tell me you're done," Kaiba groaned. "All this bullshit about friendship is really starting to irritate me, Wheeler."

Mokuba agreed. "The last thing my brother needs is a lecture from you, so lay off!"

Joey was outraged. "How can you defend your brother after all that he said about you? He said he was happy being alone, so I guess that means he doesn't need you."

Hearing that made Mokuba reflect on the times his brother mistreated him in their scheme to take over their stepfather's empire.

Joey turned his attention back to the elder brother. "You've been saying nothing but nasty comments and smart remarks about my dueling skills. The way I see it, you're afraid of losing to me and looking like a fool. Worse, you may even be afraid of disgracing the Great Goddess. I'm one of her chosen warriors too and if you don't believe me, duel me."

"Watch it," Kaiba warned. "Push me too far and you'll regret it, Wheeler."

"I'll take my chances, so do we have a duel or what?"

"I don't see what the point is other than to waste my time. Besides, I'd crush you."

"Prove it," Joey challenged.

Finally, Kaiba gave in and accepted Joey's challenge. He wanted to silence the blonde once and for all. "As soon as we begin this duel of ours, all your friends on Earth and your Great Goddess won't save you."

"She's your Great Goddess too," Joey reminded. "But we'll see. Bring it on, Kaiba!" Then everyone left the tower and prepared the match on the rubble. Joey continued to goad Kaiba to take his best shot, but Kaiba promised that he wouldn't need to give it his best to win.

"I don't think I've ever seen Joey look this confident before," said Duke.

"He's come a long way to get where he is today," said Emily. "He's proven that he's stronger than we think he is. Even Marik trembled in fear against Joey's strength. With everything he learned and gained from his journey, he has a good chance of winning." She looks down and sighs. _Joey could have even won this whole tournament if Marik didn't turn their duel into a Shadow Game. Why did Millennia let that tragedy befall him? If Joey is one of her warriors, shouldn't she have not let it happen?_

 _Millennia was still with him, protecting him,_ Yami thought. _And in his heart, Joey knows he's deserving of the Battle City crown. The Great Goddess has already recognized Joey for his loyalty and determination. That's why she watched over him and chose him as her warrior._

Feeling a strange sensation, Tea loses consciousness, but not before Marik takes over her mind. Under his control, she turns around and heads to the aircraft. Speaking through Tea, Marik tells his sister, "The time is near, Ishizu."

At first, Ishizu thought that Tea was a little lost, but then she realized that she was speaking to her brother. "Marik, it's been so long since you last appeared to me. I remembered that you were taking shelter within Tea's mind, but I also sensed that you were weak and couldn't hold on for long."

It was true that Marik was becoming weaker while Malik was growing stronger, but the good half remained in Tea's mind long enough to hear the truth about their past. That was when Marik learned that it was Malik who committed those evil acts long ago. "You came here to save me from myself. Despite everything I've done in my quest for power, you had faith and knew that there was still good within me. And so did the Great Goddess. Though she knew I was using her power for evil purposes, she still gave it to me. But now, the good within me is almost completely extinguished."

Ishizu gasped. "If the evil force defeats the pharaoh in the final battle, you will be gone forever and the entire planet will suffer greatly!"

"I can't allow one duel to decide the fate of the whole world," said Marik. "The time has come for me to step in and reclaim my body, Sister. Though I don't know how, I know that I must banish that evil before it's too late. There's just too much at risk. Take care of Odion."

Ishizu had a feeling her brother was going to use Tea to confront Malik. "No, it's too dangerous! Don't go, please," she pleaded as Marik was using Tea to run to the duel tower. Emily saw her best friend running to the tower and wondered what was up.

Joey decided to let Kaiba make the first move. The brunette had a feeling that this would be a breeze just like their duel in Duelist Kingdom. He summoned Ryu-Kishin Powered, a fiend with 1600 attack points. Next, he played two cards face down and ended his turn. Joey summoned Gearfried the Iron Knight and declared an attack. When he did, Kaiba activate his face down cards Shrink and Crush Card to weaken his monster and devastate Joey's deck. Kaiba lost 1000 life points, but it was worth it.

"A weak duelist should have weak monsters," Kaiba suggested as Joey went through the cards in his deck. "I told you that you couldn't handle an opponent like me."

"Shut it, Kaiba," Joey barked.

"Why don't you just admit you're in over your head and leave now before you hurt yourself?"

"Forget it. We're just getting started and I got strategies you never dreamed of."

Kaiba just moaned. "Don't you know when it's time to quit?" He summoned La Jinn to attack Joey directly. The attack dealt 1800 points of damage. Joey drew his card, promising to find a way to turn things around. He summoned Swordsman of Landstar to the field and activated Graceful Dice to raise his attack points. The roll of the die resulted in a four, giving the Swordsman 2000 attack points and making it strong enough to defeat the Mystical Genie.

Kaiba wasn't too impressed. "You can't win a duel with luck," he said as his monster was destroyed. "You may have won that battle, but you won't win the war."

 _I don't intend to,_ Joey wondered. _But I do have a challenge to face and I made a promise to succeed. I just have to. It's the only way I can prove that I'm the hero of friendship. Freya told me to be a friend to someone who needs one. Kaiba is the perfect guy for the job. As much as I want to win this duel, I have to prove to Kaiba that there's more to me. And I can help him understand the good that can come from friendship by being his friend. He said I didn't belong in his tournament, but I'll show him._ Joey was actually grateful to Kaiba for planning this tournament. It helped him to become stronger and to awaken as Millennia's chosen warrior. Now he needed this challenge to become the hero of friendship. As if his thoughts could be heard, the same symbol shined on his head again.

"Congratulations on making one good move," Kaiba said mockingly. "I guess there is a first time for everything."

"Watch it, pal!"

"I'm not your pal, Wheeler. If I was, I'd be standing with the other geeks cheering my heart out for the biggest loser of the duel. Do you honestly believe you're a warrior chosen by some made-believe goddess? There's nothing for you to prove. More importantly, did you forget I destroyed every powerful monster in your deck?"

Joey remembered, but he wouldn't let his opponent get the best of him. And though Red-Eyes wasn't in his deck, Freya was with him in spirit to give him support.

"It's time I gave you a look at the difference in our firsthand skills," Kaiba said as he drew his card. He summoned Blade Knight and attacked Joey's Swordsman of Landstar. Because Joey's turn was over, the Swordsman's attack points were back to their original value of 500. Now Joey had 1100 life points remaining. "You have no chance," Kaiba said, playing a card face down.

"I'm just getting warmed up," said Joey. He summoned Little-Winguard in attack mode. Next, he equipped it with the Legendary Sword, giving it 300 attack and defense points. Kaiba revealed his face down card Absorb Spell to transfer the effect of Joey's card to his Blade Knight.

"That was a third-rate move on your part," said Kaiba. "Even if you are a warrior, you could never defeat a duelist with real talent."

"Next time I'm dueling someone with talent, I'll remember that," Joey said, playing a card face down. _What was Millennia thinking choosing this guy as one of her warriors? He's as nasty as they come and he's got nothing good worth fighting for, let alone to prove. But if he is one of her chosen warriors, I wonder what his element is. I also wonder what challenge he has to face in order to awaken as the hero of his element._


	13. Becoming Warriors

Becoming Warriors

Malik was still on top of the duel tower looking around the arena. He wanted answers to what happened during Yami and Kaiba's duel. He remembered that a great power was released when the Egyptian Gods clashed. He also knew that it wasn't Emily's doing because the Millennium Star was being wild inside of her. "The force created by these two behemoths caused the Great Goddess to act of her own will. And according to the princess, she and Kaiba and the pharaoh were shown a vision of the past. But what did they see and why is my Millennium Rod serving anyone but me? Only I should control the Rod of Millennia." He lifted the Rod and tried calling to the Great Goddess. "Show me the images you showed to Kaiba and the pharaoh and princess." But nothing was happening. Frustrated, he tossed the Rod aside and wasn't aware that it was sliding to Tea's feet.

"You should be more careful with this," Marik warned, speaking through her.

"I beg your pardon?" Then Malik saw Tea lifting the Millennium Rod from the ground. "Hand over that Item. You are meddling with forces beyond your control." Malik tried to seize it, but the Millennium Rod released its magic, pushing him away. "What's the meaning of this? No one can use the Millennium Rod but me."

"It may be in your possession now, but you seem to have forgotten that Millennia chooses those worthy of using her power," Marik reminded. Malik soon realized that a part of Marik was taking refuge inside Tea's mind. "It's my destiny to stop you, so Millennia is lending me her strength through her Rod."

"Is that so? Don't you realize that you don't exist in this world anymore, Marik?"

Below on the ground, Emily felt a strange pain in her chest. The Millennium Puzzle was also glowing around Yami's neck. "I think the Great Goddess is trying to tell us something," Emily wondered. Then Tea's image flashed before their eyes. "It's Tea! She may be in trouble!"

"Joey, Emily and I will be right back," said Yami. "Stay strong." And he ran to the duel tower. Emily decided to get there faster by flying. She still wasn't strong enough to carry Yami, but she would get there first to see what was going on.

Kaiba had no intention of attacking Joey's Little-Winguard. Instead, he played Enemy Controller and gave up a thousand life points to control Joey's monster. Next, Kaiba played Cost Down to lower the level of all the monsters in his hand by two, making them easier to summon. He sacrificed Little-Winguard to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon. One attack would cause Joey to lose the duel. But that wouldn't happen. He revealed his face down card Scapegoat and summoned four lamb tokens to protect his life points. The Dragon's White Lighting destroyed one and Blade Knight destroyed another. The Knight also had 2300 attack points thanks to its special ability. Because Kaiba had no cards in his hand, the Knight gained 400 attack points.

Joey played a card face down and summoned Battle Warrior in defense mode. It was Kaiba's turn again and he played Card of Demise to draw a new hand. Now that he had more cards in his hand, Blade Knight lost 400 attack points. He summoned Kaiser Seahorse, a monster with 1700 attack points and it and Blade Knight destroyed Joey's two remaining lamb tokens. Blue-Eyes White Dragon dealt the last attack and destroyed Battle Warrior.

Joey played Pot of Greed and drew two cards from his deck. He saw that they could be helpful, but first, he activated his face down card Graverobber and used it to play Enemy Controller. But instead of using it to control one of Kaiba's monsters, he paid a thousand life points to destroy Blue-Eyes. Next he played Monster Reborn to revive the White Dragon.

Just then, Freya's voice started to echo in his head. _"That was a brilliant move on your part, Joey. The White Dragon holds the spirit of someone close to me and she too, was one of Millennia's chosen warriors. Like me, she left her power to someone she loves and said it was for everyone; including all of her friends. Her light is for you as well as Kaiba. But use it well."_

" _I will, Freya,"_ Joey promised _. "I would never use or betray a friend past or present. And this is part of my quest to becoming the hero of friendship; to teach my friend the lessons he needs."_ He raises his voice and commands Blue-Eyes to attack and destroy Blade Knight. To end his turn, Joey summons Hayabusa Knight in defense mode and plays a card face down.

Kaiba was surprised with Joey's last move, but he was also very angry. He didn't appreciate his monster being used against him. But just as Freya told Joey, Blue-Eyes White Dragon's light is for everybody. "You made a big mistake by taking my Blue-Eyes from me. Now it's time for me to end this duel," Kaiba growled. _This is unacceptable. There's no way I'll allow a third-rate duelist like Wheeler to use my Blue-Eyes._ Kaiser Seahorse's special ability allowed Kaiba to sacrifice it and summon a light attribute monster to take its place. Kaiba was going to sacrifice it to summon his second White Dragon.

Joey screamed as the Dragons attacked and destroyed each other while Kaiba laughed. "Geez! Who knew Kaiba'd get worked up over one card?" He sighed and looked down. _"I'm sorry, Freya. I misused Blue-Eyes after I promised I wouldn't."_

" _No, Joey, it was Kaiba who selfishly misused the White Dragon. You were more humble. He just thinks her power belongs only to him."_

Kaiba's turn wasn't over. He made the same move as Joey and revived Blue-Eyes from the graveyard. "Now it's time for me to end this duel and expose you for the failure you truly are. You have no business being here and you'll learn that the hard way!"

On top of the duel tower, Marik kept the Millennium Rod pointed at Malik to make him back away. "I've returned to reclaim my body from you. And the Great Goddess will help me."

"I told you," Malik protested, "I'm the real you and you're nothing but a small piece of my memory thanks to Odion. Because of his accident, I was able to reemerge again." Malik grabbed Tea by her wrist and lunged her towards the edge of the balcony. "I told you that you were too weak." The Millennium Rod also slipped from Tea's grasp and Malik got it back. Now he was the one pointing it to his other half. "It's time for me to banish what's left of you to the shadows." Malik tried to attack, but Marik escaped by using Tea's acrobatic skills. But now she was hanging for dear life.

Emily saw what was going on and didn't like it. For all she knew, Malik was attacking her best friend and Tea was at the point of falling to her doom. To save her, Emily attacked Malik with her Lucent Beam spell. The light came at him like a laser and pushed him away. Malik wasn't injured, but he was surprised. Emily used what strength she had to lift Tea and get her back to the floor safely. Then she stepped in front of her to shield her.

Recovering from the attack, Malik got back on his feet. "Princess Emily. What a pleasant surprise."

"Enough of this!" Emily screamed. "I will not stand by and let you hurt someone else dear to me! Enough if my friends have gotten hurt already by your hands."

"Princess, are you even aware that the person you're protecting is the one who really caused you and your friends so much pain and suffering?"

"Don't lie to me!"

Marik places Tea's hand over Emily's shoulder. "No, Princess. It's true. I'm the real Marik and part of me lives within Tea. I'm sorry, but I had to confront my dark half through Tea. But please understand, I mean no harm any longer."

Emily could sense that it really was Marik and that he was weak. "You've already put my best friend in harm's way by bringing her here. Not a very noble act. But you need help and can't face this evil entity alone."

"Not that you have much of a chance against me," said Malik. "I must admit, you've been doing well in these short few days mastering the spells of the Millennium Star. But I'm afraid you're no match for me, Princess."

"You said it yourself that my Millennium Star overpowers the Millennium Items and that really you're the one who's powerless against me," Emily countered. "Do you want to take your chances?"

"I'll deal with you soon enough," Malik promised. "Stay out of my way."

"Never!" Emily shouted. "I'm not holding back anymore! Don't you think I've made my choice to fight back? I was afraid at first, but I realized that the longer I delay, the more you'll continue to hurt the people I love. Now I know I have to fight you. And I will shield everyone I care about from your darkness."

Malik laughed. "A foolish choice, Princess." He used his Millennium Rod to try to immobilize her, but it didn't work. Emily used her own magic to repel the force and attack Malik.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wouldn't hold back," said Emily. "Try again and I will hurt you."

"Princess, please stop," Ishizu begged. Emily turned and saw her coming to the arena. "You must control your anger. If you don't, the sacred powers of the Millennium Star will become corrupted and destroy you starting with your soul."

"She's right," said Marik. "And I would never forgive myself if that happened to you. Please, Princess, don't do this. I know you're trying to protect Tea and I know I don't deserve the same help, but please don't fight anymore. Besides, I have grown weak. Forget me." Then Marik dispatches Tea and she loses consciousness.

"Tea!" Emily cries and gets down to her.

"That fool is gone and you two are dealing with me now," said Malik. "First I'll deal with you, Ishizu, and then I'll focus my intention on the princess. Prepare to join your father in the Shadow Realm!" Once again, Emily stepped in front of her friends to shield them. Finally, Yami appeared and came to the arena. "Look at this, I'm quite popular today," Malik said mockingly. "First the princess comes to protect her friends and now the pharaoh comes to his daughter's rescue. Welcome, Pharaoh. It seems our battle will begin soon enough." Then both of their Millennium Items begin glowing.

Shadows were coveting the arena, but Malik decided to dispel his magic. "On second thought, I don't want to end this just yet. That would be too easy and I have something more fun in mind. So until then, good day to you and your daughter. When we next meet, your powers will be mine," he said and left the arena.

"Emily, are you all right?" Yami asked. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, but you won't believe this; the good Marik lives inside Tea's mind. He used her to confront his dark side. I was able to protect Tea just in time before the evil fiend could hurt her, but Marik is drifting away."

"She's right," said Ishizu. "Please don't allow this evil to prosper, my pharaoh. And, Princess, you must use Millennia's power wisely and control yourself. The powers of the Millennium Star are pure, but they can also be corrupted if you don't control your anger. If that happens, it will destroy you and become easy for Marik's dark side to seize it."

That was enough to make Emily learn her lesson. She already saw Millennia's power being abused through the Millennium Items by other fiends before Marik, so she gave her word not to make the same mistake. "We promise you that we'll save the world from Marik's evil, Ishizu," said Emily. "We'll also save your brother. I just hope that defeating his dark side will also reverse the damage that's been done."

Tea started coming to. "What's going on? Why am I up here? The last thing I remember is watching Joey duel Kaiba."

It didn't surprise Yami or Emily that Tea didn't remember anything that happened. They also figured it would probably wise if they kept it between them that she was under Marik's control. Emily instead just asked, "How do you feel, Tea?"

"Well, I'm still a little freaked out," she answered. "I never sleepwalk, especially during the day. And up this whole tower?" Then she remembered, "Did Joey ever win his duel against Kaiba?"

"No," Yami answered. "Emily and I went looking for you when the duel was still in progress. If we hurry, we should get there before it ends." Emily still wasn't strong enough to carry her friends and she was feeling a little out of it after using her powers, so she joined Tea and Yami as they climbed down the stairs and took the elevator.


	14. A True Friend

A True Friend

The duel continued as Kaiba was about to finish Joey off. "You were a fool to challenge me, Wheeler, and now you'll see that I was right all along. You're worthless and you shouldn't have been in my tournament in the first place. Now go ahead and make your move because you've wasted enough of my time already!"

"Kaiba, you and I may have our differences, but we also have our similarities. We both finished in the top four of the finals and we're both warriors chosen by the Great Goddess Millennia. But when I win this duel, I'll outrank you!" Before Joey could win, he had to deal with Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. He just summoned Baby Dragon in defense mode.

Kaiba played Stop Defense to switch Hayabusa Knight to attack mode. Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacked and destroyed Joey's Knight, but Joey still had life points remaining. He activated a trap called Nutrient Z. It raised Joey's life points by 4000 since he was being attacked by a monster that dealt more than 2000 points of damage. But he still lost life points and had 2100 remaining. Kaiba still stood by his opinion that Joey was an amateur. He ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Joey was lucky because he drew Time Wizard from his deck. He played it and his favorite spin began as Time Roulette was played. It was risky, but Joey prayed for his card to come through. The arrow landed on a time machine, causing Baby Dragon to evolve into Thousand Dragon. But Time Wizard's Time Magic had no effect on Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. Kaiba played Interdimensional Matter Transporter to remove his monster from the field and keep her from aging.

"I'll tell you the real difference between us, Wheeler. You depend on luck while I depend on skill."

But Joey was laughing like he was having fun. "You really kill me, y'know that?"

Kaiba grinned. "You've lost it."

"Wrong," Joey argued. "I just find you ridiculous. Come on. Lighten up, for God's sake. You and I are fighting a great duel, so relax and have fun." That was what Joey was doing. He was trying to show Kaiba the joys of having fun and treating even a fierce battle like it was just a game. And that's what friends should be doing. Joey really was trying to be the friend Kaiba needed.

Kaiba needed what Joey was trying to offer him, but continued to push it away. "I don't have fun."

"Then you're more of a miserable bastard than I thought," said Joey.

"You don't even know the first thing about me," Kaiba shouted. "I duel to gain power and to be the best, not to have fun! But when Yugi beat me, he stole my glory once again!"

"You were good, but Yugi was better. Didn't you hear what Emily said?" Joey asked. "You may not have the same rank as Yugi, but like him, you're still one of the world's greatest duelists. Why can't you just accept that?"

"I don't give a damn what Briar said! And I certainly wouldn't expect someone like you to understand!" Kaiba drew Thunder Dragon from his deck and sacrificed it to activate its special ability, letting him draw two more Thunder Dragons. Next, he played Polymerization to merge them together to form Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. Then he played Quick Attack so his fusion monster could immediately attack and destroy Thousand Dragon. Finally, Blue-Eyes White Dragon destroyed the rest of Joey's life points.

 _I'm sorry_ , Freya, Joey thought. _I came close, but I just couldn't do it. I tried._

"That's right, bow down in defeat!" Kaiba barked, seeing Joey on his knees.

Mokuba said something a little nicer to Joey. "You did okay, but you're still no match for my brother."

"Outdueling Joey Wheeler is no cause for celebration," said Kaiba. "This was a waste of my time."

"Hold on, Kaiba," Joey called.

Kaiba was becoming more annoyed of Joey's stubbornness. "Can't you just let it go? It's over."

Joey disagreed. The fight would never be over because Joey would keep challenging Kaiba and come back stronger. Plus, he would never give up on trying to be Kaiba's friend. That made him realize that his quest would never be over either. He didn't succeed like he hoped, but he still completed his trials. He also may have fulfilled his tasks for this journey, but he can still do his part by remaining loyal and helping his friends. He was proud of himself for his efforts. He fought his hardest and remained a true friend, and true to his element. Millennia would be proud of him.

Kaiba wasn't willing to look forward to when such a time would ever come. "Let's go, Mokuba. There's no reason to stick around this dump anymore."

"But there's still one more duel," his brother reminded him.

Kaiba saw Ishizu standing next to him. "I would advise you to be present for the final duel of your tournament," she suggested. "Yugi will need your help to defeat Marik and fulfill his destiny."

Kaiba refused. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm done. Battle City's over for me and the sooner I put this all behind me, the better. I've had about all I can take from you people. So please just leave me alone and have a nice life!"

"Walking away is a huge mistake," said Ishizu.

"Why is that, Ishizu?" Kaiba asked. "Let me guess, did you read it in one of your Egyptian fairy tales or did your imaginary goddess tell you?"

But it wasn't either of those. She warned him that his future was at stake. "Deep down, you know that as well as I do. I know you are able to read the Egyptian text and I also know that you are aware of the story depicted on the stone. The sorcerer may have been the pharaoh's rival, but he was also his friend and one of Millennia's chosen warriors. The sorcerer is your ancestor, Kaiba, and you must do for Yugi what he did for the pharaoh: help your friend. Without you, he can't save the world from destruction. If you continue to deny your ancient heritage, the world will suffer because of your stubbornness. Your rivalry with Yugi has been in existence for thousands of years and it will continue to exist."

It wasn't always a rivalry. The sorcerer constantly challenged the pharaoh in every game and battle to increase their strengths and skills. The pharaoh helped the sorcerer in the same way by reminding him of the importance of winning and having something worth fighting for. They both benefited from each other and were able to work together to save mankind and preserve Millennia's wishes.

"And it's not just Yugi who needs you, Kaiba. So do Emily and Joey. All of Millennia's warriors must unite and work together to save the world and carry out her will."

"That's enough, Ishizu! I hosted this tournament to achieve my goal of becoming number one again, not to help Yugi and his friends or some made-believe goddess!"

Ishizu disagreed. "You were destined to organize this tournament and you had no choice in the matter. You were guided by the Great Goddess herself and if you leave now, you'll be disgracing her and turning your back on mankind."

Kaiba wasn't listening. He just looked at his duel tower. "Look at my duel tower. It stands as a symbol of my hatred towards my stepfather. I can't stand the sight of it!"

Ishizu wondered if this was Kaiba's reason for wanting to leave. He was running away from his stepfather. But she continued to try to reason with him. "This is about more than just your family, Kaiba."

"No, I designed this whole tournament and I was robbed of my victory! But I can still bury my past by destroying that tower!" He turned to his brother to prepare to detonate the tower.

Mokuba heard his brother's order, but didn't like the thought of it. "Destroying the tower won't really solve anything. All it's going to do is cause more anger, destruction, hatred, and pain." He faced his brother and raised his voice. "I think Emily and Yami were right! You're filled with hatred! And I know our childhood wasn't the best, but there were times when you and I had fun! You even used to smile, but now you don't anymore. Why not? You're always in a bad mood and I want you back to how you used to be!"

"Those days are over!" Kaiba shouted.

"They don't have to be!" Mokuba cried. "You can change! Instead of causing more pain and damage, why don't you help Yugi and Emily to prevent more pain and damage? You're one of Millennia's chosen warriors! And if you know the secret to defeating Marik, tell Yugi!"

Kaiba was still against the idea. He wanted to defeat Yugi, not help him. "Yugi's chances of winning the tournament and defeating Marik are slim. But it's true, I figured out how to defeat the Winged Dragon of Ra and the card necessary to do it lives in my deck. But it's not just a matter of holding this card. It has to be played the right way at the right time." Then a red light shined on his forehead, revealing the symbol of his element. Then he returned on his path to the tower. Mokuba wondered if his brother was going to help Yami after all. Kaiba would rather just watch Yami tremble and fall in defeat, but he figured it would also be interesting if he gave him the card.

Joey, Tristan, and Duke met up with the rest of their friends at the duel tower. Yami and the girls were sorry to hear that Joey lost to Kaiba. But there would come a time when Joey would get another chance. But for now, it was time to focus on the next battle at hand. After all, Yami was going to duel Malik. They all went to the arena where Malik was waiting.

Malik was one of the many villains who liked to play by their own rules and there would be no telling what sort of surprises he would have in store. Would two Egyptian God cards be enough to stop him? Yami promised to do his best, but he was going to need everyone's help. Malik was looking forward to this duel for a long time, but Yami knew that by defeating Malik, Marik and the entire world would be saved.

Finally, Ishizu and the Kaiba brothers came to the arena. "Hold on, Yugi," Kaiba called to Yami. "I've got something you need. Take this!" And he tossed the card to him.

Looking at it, Yami saw that it was a magic card called Fiend's Sanctuary. But he was confused and wondered why Kaiba would give it to him. "What is the meaning of this, Kaiba?"

"That's for you to figure out," he answered. Kaiba still didn't want to think of it like he was helping a friend in need, but this was exactly how it was. Still, Yami had to figure out how to use the card on his own. But Kaiba would still be supporting him through the card. "If you really want to win this duel, then use that card and don't just rely on the support of your little fan club or Great Goddess."

Yami placed the card in his deck and shuffled it. "Kaiba, we may not always agree, but I still trust you." Even Joey wasn't too sure. But he remembered that Kaiba said his computer helped him to uncover the many secrets and abilities of Ra. That made Joey wonder if Kaiba was finally acting like a warrior of Millennia and doing something to help his friend.

"Thank you," Ishizu said to Kaiba.

"For what? Just because I gave him the card doesn't mean he'll win. Even if Yugi does figure out how to use it, he'll probably still lose the duel. Maybe then you'll stop believing that fairy tales come true. Yugi is no pharaoh, Briar is no princess, I'm no sorcerer, and Wheeler's no warrior. Above all, the four of us aren't destined to work together to save the world. So wake up and stop living in the past. I realized that the only way to succeed is to look ahead."

Ishizu disagreed. "I assure you that before this duel is over, you will believe me, Kaiba."


	15. The Final Confrontation

The Final Confrontation

Malik and Yami finished shuffling their decks and took their positions on the arena. Everything was in place for this last battle. All of Millennia's warriors had done their part in their journey for this task. But it was Yami's destiny to end it once and for all.

Already, Malik used his Millennium Rod to conjure the shadows. "You've witnessed my Shadow Games before, but this one will be different. Behold the first of my surprises." Malik brought Max forth. The hourglass she was trapped in was almost full, meaning she would soon be gone forever. "I'm afraid it gets worse," Malik said as Max was disappearing. "She's not the only one in danger."

"What do you mean?" Yami asked.

"I said I had several surprises in store for you. Meet my next victim!" And Yugi appeared beside Yami bound to the shadows. "Do you understand what's at stake? Lose the duel and Yugi goes to the Shadow Realm!"

"Yugi!" Emily cried, running to the arena. Tea and Joey stopped her by grabbing her arms. "Leave him alone, Marik!"

"But he's not the only one in danger," Malik said, pointing to the real Marik. He was bound to the darkness as well, but unconscious because he was so weak. "My weaker half is involved as well, so when I lose, the shadows will take him. The Shadow Realm will claim an innocent soul no matter who loses!"

With that being settled, Malik made the first move. He summoned Imperic Leech, a feeble insect with 500 attack points that had the ability to instantly attack. By losing life points, Yugi was drifting into the shadows piece by painful piece. There was too much on the line. If Yugi were to be claimed by the shadows, Yami would cease to exist as well. Yami didn't want to fight, but it was too late to turn back. The only way to save Yugi now was to win this duel.

"We can do this," Yugi encouraged. "Ever since you and I met, we've faced every challenge as a team! This Shadow Game is no different. I'm still right here next to you and we can defeat Marik together! He'll never win this!" Then a blue light shined on his head, revealing a strange symbol. Yami saw it and knew that it was the symbol of courage, the element represented by this warrior. He had seen it before back in Duelist Kingdom when they battled Pegasus together in the Shadow Realm.

Seeing the symbol, Yami agrees with Yugi's words. "The fate of so many depends on us and we can't let them down." _This is the most important duel we've ever fought. If Marik were to prevail, he would gain all three Egyptian God cards along with the key to infinite power. And four innocent souls would be lost to the darkness. I'm now certain that the reason Yugi and I were brought together so we could win this one duel. Failure is not an option!_

It was still Malik's turn and his Leech had another ability. All Malik had to do was send a card from his hand to the graveyard so he could switch it to defense mode. The card he gave up was the Winged Dragon of Ra and he was planning on using to surprise and devastate Yami the same way he did the rest of his opponents. Even Kaiba had a feeling this was going to be Malik's strategy. Finally, Malik played a card face down and ended his turn.

Yami summoned Queen's Knight to attack Imperic Leech. After that, he ended his turn by playing two cards face down. Malik summoned Geragaido, a monster with 1700 attack points. The monster attacked Queen's Knight, dealing 200 points of damage and causing another piece of Yugi to be consumed by the darkness. It hurt, but he continued to endure it. To end his turn, Malik played two cards face down. When Yami drew his card, Malik's trap activated. It was Left Arm Offering, letting him add a magic card from his deck to his hand in exchange for every card in his hand. The card Malik chose was Monster Reborn. Yami activated his face down card Exchange, forcing both duelists to trade a single card from their hands. So Yami took Malik's Monster Reborn and Malik took De-Fusion. Yami played Monster Reborn to revive his Queen's Knight. After that, he summoned King's Knight, and now that the two Knights were together on the field, Yami could summon Jack's Knight to join them.

Malik knew what this was about. Yami was going to sacrifice his Knights to summon one of his Egyptian God cards. But neither one of them was in his hand. He didn't want to risk attacking either, so he ended his turn. Malik played De-Fusion face down and activated Card of Sanctity. Malik gained six new cards while Yami gained four more cards. To end his turn, Malik switched Geragaido to defense mode. Yami drew Slifer from his deck and sacrificed his three Knights to summon it. With a hand full of six cards, Slifer had 6000 attack points.

Just because Yami summoned one of his Egyptian God cards didn't mean that this was the end. The duel had only just begun. Malik played a magic card called Dark Spell Regeneration, allowing him to play a magic card from the graveyard. He chose Monster Reborn and used it to revive his Winged Dragon of Ra. The divine beast appeared on the field in its Phoenix mode. In this mode, it was indestructible and could not be destroyed even by an attack from Slifer. But summoning the Winged Dragon also activated Slifer's Lightning Blast ability, blasting 2000 points from it. But even Slifer's Lightning Blast could not destroy it.

Malik gave up a thousand life points to activate the Winged Dragon's special ability. In its Phoenix mode, it could remove Slifer from the field. Yami and Yugi were both okay and didn't lose any life points. What was also good was that the Winged Dragon was returning to the graveyard. But everyone had a bad feeling they hadn't seen the last of it. Malik activated a trap called Zombie's Jewel, letting him take a magic card from his opponent's graveyard and place it in his hand. Once again, he wanted Monster Reborn.

The benefit of Malik's trap allowed Yami to draw a card from his deck. He prayed it would be the Fiend's Sanctuary card Kaiba gave him. Emily and Ishizu could both sense Yami putting his faith in Kaiba, releasing a great sensation. Without looking, Yami drew his card and played it face down. It was Fiend's Sanctuary for sure. Fate allowed Yami to draw and play the card Kaiba gave him.

Everyone was surprised at what Yami just did; even Malik. But he thought it was a desperate and hopeless move. Once again, he played Monster Reborn to revive the Winged Dragon of Ra from the graveyard. Malik used point-to-point transfer, giving the Winged Dragon all but one of his life points to increase its attack points. Malik also sacrificed Geragaido and transferred its attack points to Ra as well. Now the Winged Dragon had 4699 attack points. Malik was about to attack, but Yami revealed his face down card. To everyone's surprise, it was Fiend's Sanctuary. Kaiba wondered how this would be possible. How could it be the card he gave Yami? Was it a trick? No, it was the power of their pact as Millennia's warriors and their ancient bond as friends.

The magic of Fiend's Sanctuary brought forth a metal fiend token. The token was forcing Malik to become the new target and when the Winged Dragon would attack, Malik would lose the duel. The Winged Dragon did attack, but the duel was still on. Malik saved himself by revealing the De-Fusion card he played. Because he was no longer merged with Ra, he got back all of the power he transferred to his Winged Dragon. Even the real Marik recovered from the shadows and got back the portion of his body that was lost. Weakly, Marik begged for help. The Winged Dragon was back in the graveyard once again along with Monster Reborn. Malik ended his turn by playing a card face down.

The cost of keeping the metal fiend token on the field was a price of a thousand life points and losing life points meant losing Yugi as well. But Yugi promised Yami that it was okay. So Yami paid the price. By keeping the fiend token on the field, Yami played the magic card Multiply, turning that one token into three. He sacrificed his three tokens to summon Obelisk the Tormentor. There was no denying it. Kaiba was supporting Yami through his cards and their spirits were connected. Obelisk attacked Malik directly, but Malik still had 700 life points remaining and Marik was the one who was really in pain as he began to be consumed by the shadows again. How can Yami be expected to save mankind if he's endangering an innocent soul? There had to be away to defeat Malik without hurting Marik.

Kaiba thought something suspicious was going on. Even Malik wouldn't allow an Egyptian God card to attack him so easily. It turned out Malik's face down card activated when Obelisk attacked. It was a trap monster called Metal Reflect Slime. This plasma entity had the ability to take on the shape of the monster that caused Malik to lose half of his life points. It was now Egyptian God Slime, a carbon copy of the original with 3000 defense points. Yami ended his turn by playing a card face down.

Things were about to get worse as Malik summoned Revival Jam. Yami and Emily both had a bad feeling about where this was going. Malik played Polymerization to merge his two plasma beasts together. Egyptian God Slime had now absorbed all of Revival Jam's abilities. Yami summoned Big Shield Gardna to protect his life points. Obelisk tried to attack, but not even his mighty Fist of Fate could destroy his counterpart. Egyptian God Slime quickly recovered as it splattered. Malik played a card face down and summoned a small archer called Bowganian. It was summoned in defense mode, but it had the ability to deal 300 points of damage.

Yami played a card face down and sacrificed Big Shield Gardna to summon Dark Magician Girl. She tried to attack Bowganian, but Malik activated Jam Defender, causing Egyptian God Slime to intercept the attack. This caused Yami to lose a thousand life points since Dark Magician Girl's attack backfired. Yami lost 300 more life points from Bowganian. Yami and Yugi were both hurt, but they kept insisting to each other that they were all right.


	16. Marik's Amends

Marik's Amends

Using whatever strength he has, Marik tries to speak to Odion from the shadows. _"Odion, can you hear me? It's Marik. My dark side grows stronger as I slip into the shadows. Before I'm gone forever, I want to say I'm sorry. You've done nothing but protect me since the day I was born and I repaid you with anger and disrespect. I wish I could take everything back, but now it's too late. The evil within me is about to prevail. The evil I created from within now threatens to destroy me. Once he defeats the pharaoh and gains his power, the entire world will pay the price. You were there on the day I received the tomb keeper's initiation and my dark side emerged. You were always loyal to me. Even when I betrayed the tomb keepers and used Millennia's power for my own selfish purposes, you never left my side and now I finally understand why you stood by me. Even though you knew what I was doing was wrong, you stood by me because you were the only one who could control the evil within me. But when you got hurt, my wicked side took over. Now there's nothing left for me to do. I'm drifting away while his power increases. Goodbye, Odion. I'll never be able to repay you for all that you've done. I'm sorry."_

As if Odion could hear Marik's voice, he finally opened his eyes and awakened. He knew his master was in trouble and needed him. He was still feeling weak, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He left his room and went on his way to the duel tower. _It is my sworn duty to protect Master Marik. I must not allow his dark side to prevail._

Marik was still weak and in pain, but he begged for help from Tea. He had enough strength to take over her mind and speak through her. "Please listen."

It was faint, but Emily could sense his presence. "Marik? Is it you again?"

"Yes, Princess. I have borrowed your friend once again to reason with you. You must defeat my dark side at all costs. Destroy my evil half and let the shadows take me." He turns to Yami and tells him. "Please forgive me, Pharaoh. My family and I were charged to protect your tomb until your return. And I always resented this task. My dark side was born as a result of my anger. He must be destroyed. And I shall go with him."

To Malik, this was pathetic. "You've resented the pharaoh your entire life and now you beg for his forgiveness? It's already too late for that, you fool. You've already created me and now your body belongs to me and you barely exist. Just look at yourself. You're a mere shadow of the person you once were. You can never stop me. Instead, let me finish what you started."

Ishizu walks up to Tea to speak to her brother. "Please don't do this," she pleads. "Don't surrender your own life to stop him."

"I'm sorry, Sister, but there isn't another way. Pharaoh, you must take down the evil force that now controls my body. And if destroying him means destroying me, then so be it."

Malik had enough and decided it was best to continue the duel. He played Magical Stone Excavation, a magic card that allowed him to choose a magic card from his graveyard and transfer it to his hand for the price of two cards. No surprise it was Monster Reborn. Seeing Malik make the same move was becoming very tiresome. But he wasn't to revive his Winged Dragon again until next turn. He instead played a card face down and summoned Swallowtail Spike Lizard in defense mode. And as long as it was in defense mode, Malik would receive 1000 life points every turn.

Joey knew that Yami and Yugi were in a dangerous predicament. If they lost the duel, they would both be lost to the shadows. But defeating Malik would also destroy Marik. "This is all your fault," Joey snapped.

"Stop it," said Ishizu.

"No, it's all right," Marik insisted. "I've done nothing but cause them pain and they should be angry with me."

Joey agreed. "You'd be a fool to think we could ever trust you, so get out of my friend's head and let Yugi kick your evil butt."

"I meant no harm," said Marik. "I just wanted to speak to Yugi and I needed Tea's body because I'm too weak."

"You've still done enough," said Joey. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"You're right and I'm sorry. But there is still a way for Yugi to prevent my dark half from winning this duel. I hope he finds it." He had to or else everyone would be trapped in the Shadow Realm. Marik dispatches Tea and she comes back to her senses, wondering if she blacked out. Emily still figured it was too soon to tell her the truth, so she kept quiet.

 _The Pharaoh won't attack because he knows he'll hurt me_ , Marik wondered. _But I put him and his daughter through so much misery. I sent my Rare Hunters to take their possessions. I even captured their best friends and tried to turn them against them. How could either of them be so forgiving?_

Yugi suddenly got an idea. He was thinking about what happened when Malik fused himself with the Winged Dragon of Ra. Yugi thought that Malik was building up his life points so he could strengthen the Winged Dragon just like he did before. But by fusing with Ra, Malik himself would become a monster as well.

Yami played two cards face down and summoned Gazelle in defense mode. And since his turn was over, Bowganian dealt 300 more points of damage. Now Yami and Malik were tied with 700 life points. But Malik gained 1000 life points thanks to his Spike Lizard. Now he was going to play Monster Reborn to revive the Winged Dragon again. It came back as Egyptian God Phoenix and was about to destroy all of Yami's monsters for the price of a thousand of Malik's life points. As Ra's flames surrounded and engulfed Yami's monsters, Slifer the Sky Dragon appeared to protect them. Yami still had his own Monster Reborn on the field. Ra was back in the graveyard again, but everyone knew he would be coming back again. Sooner than anyone thought though. Malik activated a magic card called Surprise Attack From Beyond. Now Ra would be coming back for a second chance to attack. But this time, he emerged as a great golden sphere. Malik recited the ancient chant to release the Winged Dragon and once again, he transferred his power to his Egyptian God card. The Winged Dragon had 699 attack points, but Malik sacrificed all of his remaining monsters to transfer their strength to Ra. Now the Winged Dragon had 6899 attack points.

Yami activated a magic card called Soul Taker. It would grant Malik a thousand life points, but it would also allow Yami to sacrifice one of Malik's monsters. Everyone thought Yami was going to destroy Ra, but actually, he was going to destroy Egyptian God Slime. And since the plasma beast was made up of two monsters, Yami would be making a double sacrifice. And this was what Yami needed to do to activate Obelisk's special ability, raising his attack power to infinity. Now Obelisk could destroy all of Malik's monsters.

But Malik still had one last plan. Egyptian God Slime was no more, so the Winged Dragon lost 3000 attack points, but gained 1000 thanks to Yami's Soul Taker. So he had 4899 attack points. He was still weaker, but Malik saved it from being destroyed with a magic card called Class System. Now the Winged Dragon could only be defeated by a monster of a higher level and since the Egyptian Gods were of unsurpassed levels, there was no way to destroy it now. The Winged Dragon was about to attack, but Yami activated Magical Dimension, a magic card that required a spellcaster in play. Yami still had Dark Magician Girl. The magic card also required Yami to sacrifice his two other monsters, Gazelle and Obelisk. Now he could summon another spellcaster from his hand. It was Dark Magician.

This next card would be Yami's last. It was a magic card called Ragnarok. This was Yami's last chance to finally destroy the Winged Dragon of Ra once and for all. But the devastation would also destroy the real Marik. But the good half of him was willing to go through with it. But he would still have one life point left.

Odion was almost at the arena. He could still barely stand, but he continued to hold on. _I won't allow your evil side to take over your good heart, Master Marik. Ever since your family took me in, I pledged my word that I would serve you. All my life, I longed to be a tomb keeper like you. This is my chance to fulfill my wish; by saving you, Master._

"Go ahead!" Malik shouted. "Attack me and crush an innocent soul! Break the promise you made to Ishizu!"

 _I hope I'm not too late_ , Odion thought. _I would never forgive myself if I let Master Marik slip into the shadows_. He finally made it and cried out, "Master Marik, I shall protect you!"

Marik heard his voice. "That voice. Can it be?" Trying to get a clear vision, he sees Odion at the sidelines. "It _is_! Odion!"

"Please don't give up, Master Marik," Odion groaned. "There's still time."

"You have no business here, Odion," said Malik. "We were all doing just fine without you."

"Let him speak," Yami demanded.

"Look at you, you can barely stand up. But if you can stay on your feet a little longer, you can witness my triumph over the pharaoh and the demise of my weak side."

Odion tried to keep standing and almost ended up falling. Joey tried to come to his help, but Ishizu stopped him. "This is something Odion must do. It may be the only way to save Marik."

He went to the arena and demanded for Malik to release his master. But it was no use. Malik was in control and soon Marik would be gone. Odion knew he wasn't strong enough to try to contain Malik anymore, but he came to make sure Marik would prevail. "Master Marik, fight the evil within," Odion pleaded. "We've conquered your evil side before and we can do it again."

"Silence!" Malik shouted, using his Millennium Rod to push Odion back.

"Oh, no," Emily gasped, seeing him like this. She was about to use a healing spell to help Odion, but he wouldn't let her.

"I'm fine, Princess," he insisted and got back up. This was actually nothing compared to what he had been through in the past. "Please, Master, you have the power to stop your dark side. If you created him, then you can destroy him too. Fight with all of your strength. Let your tomb keeper's heritage and Millennia's light give you strength," he encouraged.

Malik was about to attack Odion again, but he began losing his nerve. Marik was able to gain a little bit of control. "If you can hear me, Pharaoh, attack now! Please, I can't hold on. I need your help to banish my dark half forever. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and your daughter and friends. As a tomb keeper, I was raised to serve you. But I always resented this task. This resentment turned into hatred and my dark half was born. What I did was wrong. But now I'm ready to take responsibility for the wrongs I committed."

Odion was pleased. He waited for so long to hear his master say those words.

"Please, Pharaoh, attack," Marik pleaded. "It's the only way."

"No, don't listen to him," said Malik.

"You must attack me to save mankind," Marik said again. "But hurry, I can't hold him much longer!"

Listening to his words, Yami decides to make his move by activating Ragnarok. He had to remove every monster in his hand, deck, and graveyard from the game. Then the souls of all the monsters came out like they were on parade. It was awesome as they looked like they were combining their strength to take down the Winged Dragon of Ra. "The time has come for me to fulfill my destiny and rid the world of your evil once and for all," Yami declared, and his Dark Magicians delivered the final blow, destroying the Winged Dragon.

The duel wasn't over yet. Malik still had one life point remaining. He was still merged with his monster, but a part of him still remained with that last life point. When the smoke cleared, everyone saw Marik standing on the arena; the real Marik. "Pharaoh, there's still one more task that you and I must complete," Marik says, removing his cloak.

Malik wasn't completely gone yet either. A part of him was standing where Marik was; bound to the shadows. "You can't do this, Marik. We can still crush the pharaoh together. Remember how you wasted away your childhood serving this fool? It's not too late to destroy him and take what you deserve! And once he's out of the way, you can deal with the princess and claim her power as well! Win this, and we can rule the world together! We've come so far! Don't throw away everything we worked for!"

Marik wouldn't listen to his dark half. "I'm sorry, Pharaoh. It was my duty to help you and instead, I turned my back. I know I can't change the past, but I can start over by embracing my family's legacy. I'm proud to be a tomb keeper and I'm proud of my sister and my brother. My family has waited five thousand years for your return. We've also been searching for the princess for just as long. Now you're both here. So I must fulfill my destiny by letting you fulfill yours."

"You can't do this!" Malik cried.

"I must," Marik said, lifting his hand. "I hold the key to helping the pharaoh unlock his true powers. The secret is imprinted on my back in an ancient Egyptian text. But before I can reveal this mystery, the pharaoh must be in possession of all three Egyptian God cards."

"You're making a mistake!"

"No, for the first time in years, I'm making the right choice. I'm honoring the Ishtar name by surrendering the duel." And Marik placed his hand over his deck, conceding the duel. "Begone," he said to Malik. "I surrender this duel to the pharaoh!" And the rest of his dark half disappeared into the Shadow Realm.

It was finally over. But Yami and Yugi would never have been able to save mankind without the help of all of their friends, past and present, in body and in spirit. While everyone was cheering for Yami's victory, Marik was making amends with his family. Now that Malik was gone, all that mattered was that Marik was back to being his own person; the good person he once knew. He even fulfilled their family's destiny. That meant no more living in the darkness. It was time to start over and begin a new life in the light.

Kaiba spoke up. "As the organizer of the Battle City tournament, I guess I should congratulate the winner. Even though you only one that duel to Marik's forfeit." Actually, if Kaiba hadn't given Yami the Fiend's Sanctuary card, he would have lost to Malik.

"Nice duel," Mokuba complemented. "And as per the rules, you get to keep the rarest card in your opponent's deck."

Marik walked up to Yami. "Rest assured that once I complete my mission, everyone who was banished to the Shadow Realm by my dark side will return," he promised. Everyone was happy to hear that. He took the Winged Dragon of Ra from his deck and presented it to Yami. "Take this, and remember, you're going to need this card, Pharaoh." Now he had all three Egyptian God cards, but still didn't know how he would be able to use them to unlock his powers. This was where Marik was going to complete the final part of the task. He removed his shirt and turned his back, revealing the secret. "These markings were passed down by my family from generation to generation," Marik explained.

"We were taught that when the pharaoh saved the world from destruction, he wiped his own memory clean," said Ishizu. "But he knew that someday, he would return and need his memory back. So he entrusted one family with his secret: the key to unlocking his mind and his power. All you need to do is read the words on Marik's back."

Yami tried to make out most of the words. He could decipher a little bit of them. Then he noticed that it all looked just like the tablet from the museum. Perhaps that was another key to all this.

Marik put his shirt back on. "I have something to give to you as well, Princess. Please take this," he says, giving Emily the Millennium Rod. "It belongs with you, where it won't cause any more harm." He removes the Cobalt Star shard and Millennium Ring from around his neck as well. "Take the Millennium Ring as well, but return this Cobalt Star shard to your friend Max. It belongs to her."

"Thank you," Emily says, taking the Items and Star shard.

Kaiba had enough of this. "The Battle City tournament is over and this victory celebration has gone on long enough. So if you'd like a free ride home, I suggest you board my aircraft now. If anyone is left behind, the Kaiba Corporation will not be responsible for your safety. Now get going, because in one hour, this entire island will explode. This duel tower will self-destruct, so board the ship and go home."

But how would they be able to? Were the engines finally fully repaired?

No one could believe Kaiba's attitude about all this. He decides to destroy everything he built on this island for not getting the victory he wanted. He and his brother went to the base to initiate the detonation system.


	17. Ending the Quest

Ending the Quest

Everyone made it back to the aircraft where the others were waiting. Joey wanted to see if Max was back and well again like Marik promised. "Serenity, is Max okay now?"

The auburn girl looked at her brother sadly. Max was still lying in bed. "She's not up."

"No way! What gives?"

"I don't know."

"Wake up, Max," Joey begged. "You're supposed to be all right. Yugi beat Marik, so your mind should've been released from the Shadow Realm. Please wake up, Max. I know you can do it." He placed his head on her bedside and said, "I'd give anything in the world to have you back; anything!"

"Anything?" Max's voice asked.

"Yes, anything," Joey answered. "Wait, Max?"

Max tried to hold it back, but she couldn't stop laughing. "That expression on your face is priceless," she said, laughing. "Would you have really given anything for me to wake up? Because you've got some nice cards in your deck that I'd like to have." She sat up and winked at Serenity. "Nice doing business with you, Serenity. You were right; he bought it hook, line, and sinker."

"What? Serenity?" Joey asked.

The auburn girl giggled and stuck out her tongue. "Oh, I just couldn't resist."

"That wasn't funny," Emily scolded. "We were all worried sick."

"Oh, come on," Max said cheerfully. "It's all good fun."

Emily sighed. She didn't usually take kindly to such humor, but she let it go. She was just too happy that Max was back to her old self again.

Everyone went to the kitchen to grab a snack, but they found Bakura stuffing his face. "Oh, hey, guys. I'm afraid all the desserts are gone."

"Bakura?" Joey asked. "What are you doin' stuffin' yourself?"

He took a bite from a banana and answered, "I was gone for an awfully long time and there's not much to eat in the Shadow Realm."

"Isn't that the truth?" Max asked.

Hearing her voice made Bakura sputter his milk and start choking. "Max! You're okay! I was so worried!" he said, walking up to her to hug her. "I missed you, love."

Max didn't mind that Bakura was covered in milk and food crumbs. She was just happy in the same way for him. "Right back at you, dear," she said, mocking him and his accent. She smiled and winked at him, letting him know she was just teasing him. She also took her handkerchief and used it to wipe Bakura's face.

Emily saw that Bakura's arm was still bandaged up. She removed it and saw that his wound had gotten worse because it hadn't been looked after or given time to heal properly. But she knew how to fix that.

"What are you doing, Emily?"

"Healing you," she answered. "Just hold still. It won't hurt at all." Sure enough, the pain stopped and Bakura's arm felt strong again. Now if only she knew a spell that would clean Bakura's clothes.

The Kaiba brothers had still not yet returned. For all Joey assumed, they already left on one of their private aircrafts. The associates didn't want to take that chance. They decided not to leave without their bosses. But another situation was at large. The engines were actually dead and couldn't run.

"This is insane!" said Tea. "Why would Kaiba program his duel tower to explode and then disappear?"

"He probably knew our own ride had busted engines, so he found his own way out of this junkyard," Joey assumed.

"We'll find him," said Yami. "He couldn't have gone too far." So everyone agreed to split up and search the island. Emily decided to take the search to the sky by flying around. Max had wings too and joined her. The girls split up and looked at their own half of the island while everyone else was searching from the ground.

Kaiba and Mokuba were still in the base of the tower. _Soon this place will be nothing but a bad memory,_ thought Kaiba. _The very site where Yugi disgraced me by stealing the Battle City crown will be gone forever. I was supposed to win this tournament and all three Egyptian God cards, but Yugi had to step in and ruin my plans once again. But Briar was right. The only thing I can do to move forward now is destroy the past; including the site where Yugi robbed me of my victory. All of it will soon be behind me._

"Looks like all systems are set," said Mokuba. "Hopefully the rest of the gang already left the island."

Kaiba continued to wander in his thoughts. _When this tower crumbles, Battle City will be behind me. But more importantly, the memory of my stepfather will be buried forever. Even though I faced my greatest demon and won, I'm still haunted by the memory of my stepfather. But once I destroy this tower which sits at the very heart of the island he once controlled, Gozaboro Kaiba will be out of my head for good. Maybe then I can start to rebuild my life. With the destruction of my past will come the rebirth of my future; the future I promised Mokuba he'd have_. When Kaiba and Mokuba were young, Kaiba promised his brother that one day they would build a theme park for all the children of the world. _Soon this nightmare will be over and I can start living my dream and fulfill the promise I made to my brother._

Everyone searched every part of the island but could not find the Kaiba brothers anywhere. The tower would self-destruct in twenty minutes and the engines were still down. But there was another way off the island. The rescue helicopter was still here on the island. To think, if Joey wasn't in critical condition, it wouldn't be here. But the problem was it wouldn't be able to carry everybody. Max and Emily decided to use their wings and fly beside them. The helicopter took off, but wasn't at a safe enough distance. The girls didn't have hyper speed either. But Emily could form a protective barrier around herself, Max, and the helicopter.

The tower started coming down. "I hope those guys made it out," said Tea.

"This is awful," Serenity said, watching the destruction.

"Kaiba, you big idiot," Emily whispered.

"Emily, look at that," Max said, seeing something in the smoke. It looked like Blue-Eyes White Dragon. But it was actually just a jet shaped like the White Dragon. And riding inside of it were Kaiba and Mokuba.

"What the hell!?" Joey yelled.

Max chuckled. "Surprise, surprise. That Kaiba never ceases to impress me."

"Where does he get these things?" Emily asked.

"Hey, Seto, look at that," said Mokuba. "Max and Emily have wings and are flying! Hey!" he called, waving to them. The girls waved back at him. Kaiba chuckled as he shook his head. What he was seeing wasn't normal, but it was good for what it was. He placed his fingers to his head and waved them to tell the girls 'catch ya later'.

"Wait a minute, why are the others in the helicopter?" Mokuba asked.

His brother grinned. "I guess the other ship wasn't fixed at all."

Joey heard that and was outraged. He took the receiver and began speaking to Kaiba. "You think it's funny that we almost got blown to bits down there? Wait 'till we land this thing!"

But Kaiba and Mokuba weren't going back to the mainland with them. "We've got important business to take care of."

"You plannin' another tournament?"

"Just wait and see, Wheeler," Kaiba replied. "You geeks haven't seen the last of me; especially you, Yugi. The battle between us will _never_ be over." He gave them the same gesture he gave to the girls and waved 'goodbye'. "Hold on, Mokuba."

"All right!"

Emily sighed and said to herself, "Kaiba, you're still an idiot, but you're also my pal." Then she wondered, _You think Kaiba will ever let go of his anger and obsession for wanting to beat Yugi?_

 _I think he will when he's ready_ , Yami answered. _It will also help him to fully become Millennia's chosen warrior._

"I can't believe we're finally going to do this," Mokuba cheered. "We're going to build KaibaLand!"

"Opening a chain of amusement parks isn't all fun and games, Mokuba," said Kaiba. "It takes hard work and determination!"

His brother sighed. "Some things just never change."

It was already close to sunset by the time everyone returned to the mainland. "We made it home in one piece," Tristan sighed.

"Pharaoh, it was because of your bravery that my brother was saved from the evil that was once consumed his heart," Ishizu said gratefully. She even noticed the mark on Yami and Yugi, representing their element as the heroes of courage.

"How can I ever thank you," Marik asked.

"Now the time has come for you to uncover the great mysteries of your past."

Marik walked up to Emily. "Princess, I'm grateful to your father for saving me from myself. And I am also sorry for all I had put you through as well. I hope in spite of all I've done, we can be friends."

Emily remembered that Ishizu told her that Marik was in love with her. And now that Marik's heart was free from the dark influences, Emily could see his truth. She saw that he really was sorry and his feelings for her were pure after all. She smiled and took his hand. "I saw it in your heart, Marik. There's nothing more to say and it's all behind us. So yes, we can be friends." Then a white light shined on her forehead, revealing the symbol of her element.

"Princess, you've uncovered your element," said Marik.

"My element?"

"Each one of Millennia's chosen warriors represent a certain element," Ishizu explained. "The mark shining on your forehead reveals that your element is love. You found it by opening your heart. Your friends Yugi and Joey have found their own elements as well."

Joey nodded. "My element is friendship."

 _And Yugi's element is courage_ , Yami thought to her.

"And your element will allow you to keep the Millennium Star pure," Ishizu finished. "But now it is time for us to take our leave. But I know we will meet again."

"Goodbye, Marik. Goodbye, Odion," Emily was saying. "Goodbye, Ishizu. And thank you for everything." Emily felt like she was going to miss her the most.

"Farewell, Pharaoh. Farewell, Princess Emily," Marik says. He lowers himself and places a kiss on Emily's cheek. After their goodbyes are said, Marik, Ishizu, and Odion leave and board their personal boat and return to Egypt.

"Who knew there was actually a nice guy in such an evil nutcase?" Joey joked.

"Who knew you had such a way with words," Max sarcastically asked.

Duke decided to be the next one to head home. "I can't stay in one spot for too long. I've got places to go, hearts to break, and dice to roll. But don't worry, I'll be back." He placed a small piece of paper in Serenity's hand.

Tristan took it and saw that the contents read his phone number. "Real smooth, Duke! Like she's ever gonna call you!"

Duke chuckled and waved goodbye as he started on his path home. "Later."

Joey sighed and faced the horizon. "Everyone's goin' their own way."

Tristan sighed in agreement. "It makes me feel like I should have some sort of plan. It makes me wonder what's gonna come next for me."

"There's still plenty of time to figure it out," said Tea.

"You're right. I just have to trust in fate." Then Tristan placed a small piece of paper in Serenity's hand. Joey took it and saw that the contents read Tristan's phone number. He was about to snap, but he instead just laughed with his pal.

Max sighed. "It's time for me to go too. You know I'm kind of a wanderer and am always out looking for something. Now that the Battle City tournament is over, I can start a new journey."

Hearing Max say that made Serenity start to cry. "Oh, Max, don't go. You were like a… like a sister to me." She remembered the day they met and how they had fun together in the Battle City finals. "You've done so much for me and I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Even Max remembered and she told the auburn girl, "I should be thanking you, Serenity. When my mind was in the Shadow Realm, you took care of me and never left my side. You're like your big brother; strong and loyal." Joey smiled hearing that.

"Before you go, I have something I need to give to you, Max," Emily said, taking the Cobalt Star shard and presenting it to her. "This belongs to you."

"My Cobalt Star shard." Max takes it and places it back around her neck. "Thanks for getting it back for me, Emily."

"The spirit within, is she-?"

"She was released too, so I'm sure she's okay. But I don't think she'll be coming back any time soon. But I'm sure she's just as thankful as I am for what everyone did." Max turns her attention to the guys and says, "But next time there's a tournament, I'll be looking forward to facing you again for sure."

Joey wanted to talk to Max before she would be off, but he had a hard time knowing what to say. Max smiled and shook her head, then she started on her path.

Tea nudged Joey. "Don't be such a dork. Be her friend for a change, will you?"

Hearing that, Joey chases after Max. He had to be her friend. It was in his element. "Max, wait," he calls.

Max was about to unfold her wings and take off, but she stopped to hear what he had to say. But knowing he would end up babbling again, she said to him, "Forget it, Joey, you don't have to say anything mushy. What you did for me back there said it all." There's a phrase that says actions speak louder than words and Joey's actions proved to Max that he cared a lot about her and thought of her as his friend. "You know, the most awesome thing about this whole tournament was that I got to know you better as a person and as a friend. And though I was in the Shadow Realm, you proved that you really are the hero of friendship. I know you promised to save me, but you didn't have to be the one to beat Marik. It wasn't your destiny; it was Yugi's. You already fulfilled your tasks by helping your friends to stop him. So you didn't break any of your promises."

"How do you know-?"

Max smiled. "Let's just say I have ways of knowing these things. I'm not a follower of Millennia, but I'm glad to be a friend to someone who is."

"And I'm happy to have you as one of my friends," Joey returned.

Max unfolds her wings and brushes Joey with one of them. "You take care, Joey. I'll see you again soon." And she takes off, leaving behind a bunch of black feathers. Joey takes one and decides to keep it as a lucky charm. _Joey has really come a long way since I first met him, and that's a lot for me to admit_ , Max thought. _At first, he was a decent guy with a big mouth. But now he's a great friend and a great fighter with a big mouth and a big heart. Not as big as Emily's, but he does care a lot. And though we may be taking separate roads, out paths will cross again._


	18. Reflections

Reflections

It was dark by the time everyone returned to their homes. Emily changed out of her dress and put on her nightgown. "This was one of the greatest journeys I've ever had in my whole life and I've learned so much from it," Emily said to herself, lying down on her bed. "There were so many twists, but my friends and I faced them together."

"You needed this quest, my dear," said Mystery's voice. "You and your friends."

"Queen Mystery," Emily gasped. "It's been a while since we last talked. And you were in my dreams. This is the first time I've spoken to you conscious."

"By learning more about the Millennium Star and mastering its powers, it becomes stronger," said the queen. "I've been very impressed with all that you and your friends achieved on your journey. Now all of Millennia's warriors have awakened and faced their destinies."

Emily sighed. "I don't know. We've had some difficulties along the way." She was thinking about Kaiba's struggles in this whole tournament. "This tournament helped me to get to know Kaiba better as a person. I was even finally able to see the truth in Kaiba's heart and understand his reasons for all this. I really thought I could help him like how you helped your friend, but I guess not. I tried reaching out to him as a friend like you told me to, but I was pushed away."

"But you haven't given up on him," Mystery reminded. Because of that, Emily was being true to her element. There actually were a lot of differences between Kaiba and the sorcerer who betrayed the royal family and those differences had to be taken into account. It's true that they both lost their families at young age, but their new families were very different. Kaiba was adopted and raised by a tyrant with a heart full of cruelty and destruction. Seto was taken in by a kind and loving family who showed more appreciation and support. This difference showed the weights of their hearts. Over the years, Kaiba's heart continued to be filled with pain and suffering, fueling his lust for power and control. Seto's heart was soft and he was devoted to the people he cared about. He wasn't stubborn and he didn't lose sight of what was important.

And though Kaiba lost his battle, he continued to put himself down with his burdens. He couldn't be saved by his friend. The sorcerer, on the other hand, was saved by his friend and set free of the dark influences clouding him. And because Kaiba's heart was filled with so much anger and pain, he couldn't come through.

"You were right, Emily. The more Kaiba continues to fill his heart with anger, the more it will continue to hurt him. He will never truly let go of his burdens if he continues to be obsessed with wanting to prove he is the best."

"Do you think Kaiba will ever let go of his obsession for wanting to beat Yugi and join us as a friend?" Though Emily already asked Yami, she wanted her mother's opinion.

"I think he will when he is ready," she answered. "But he needs to do it on his own by listening to his own heart. And though his heart is small and dark, a small spark of Millennia's light shines inside of it. But you and your friends can help make that spark grow stronger. Then and only then will he finally truly become one of her warriors. And when he does, he will also become the hero of his element."

Hearing that made something come into mind. "Ishizu said that each one of Millennia's warriors represent a certain element. I found out that my element is love."

Queen Mystery nods. "That was my element in the past. Your father's element was courage, just like Yugi's. Actually, Yugi already discovered his own element back in his first journey." It was true. Back then, Yugi was still a shy and sensitive lad who had to face many challenges and fight his fears. He was able to do so by putting his trust in the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle and working together with him. But he truly awakened as the hero of courage when he performed his last move in their duel against Pegasus in the Shadow Realm.

Emily remembered that, though she didn't know exactly what happened back there. "But I don't know if love really is my element. I almost couldn't control my rage towards Marik up in the duel tower. There was a moment when I just wanted to hurt him for hurting my friends." Thinking about it made her start to cry. "If Ishizu didn't stop me and if I lost it, I would have also lost myself and corrupted the Millennium Star's powers!"

Mystery rubbed Emily's back. "They say with great power comes great responsibility. The powers of the Millennium Star are pure and should only be used for good purposes, but for only as long as your heart remains pure. Emily, Millennia's power is both a blessing and a curse. You can't just think about what good can come from it. You also have to take the bad into account. As for the Millennium Items, they allow their wielders to borrow Millennia's power, but they can be used for good or evil."

"Is the Millennium Star pure because there's no shadow magic within it?"

"That and also because some of the Dark Lord's power lives within the Items." When people wanted to selfishly use the power of the Gods for themselves, their powers became tampered with. That's the reason why the powers of light and shadows clash within the Items.

"But still, can love really be my element?"

Mystery smiles and says a few suggestions. "Emily, has anyone ever said to you that you have a big heart?"

Emily dries her eyes and says, "I get that a lot from my friends. They also tell me I care too much."

"That's actually a good thing. Caring about someone else is the key to loving them. I also know that when you were a child, you fell in love with Yugi when you first met him and wanted to be his sweetheart. And though your feelings for him have changed, your love for him has gotten stronger. Now you love him like he is a part of your family."

"Yugi is my family, Queen Mystery, and I promised never to leave him behind no matter what. I promised the same thing to all of my friends. And though Kaiba continues to be stubborn and push us away, I refuse to give up on him. He needs a new family; one who will give him all the affection and support he deserved in the past and today. And we can be that family."

Mystery nods in agreement. "Joey felt the same way and said you were the friends he needed. That's how he was able to awaken as the hero of friendship. And how you feel right now proves to me that you are being true to your element. You are the hero of love. And the more you share your gift with your friends, the more they will give it back to you and share it with each other."

Emily began to trust in her mother's words. "The three of us have found our own elements. Has Kaiba found his yet?"

"I think he has, Emily. And if I had to guess, his element is the same as my friend's element; the element of wisdom."

"Wisdom?" Emily asked in disbelief. "Kaiba may be a lot of things, but I don't know if wisdom is one of his personal qualities."

"Emily, the Millennium Star may allow you to look inside a person's heart and see their truths, but you need to look and listen with your own heart to really understand," Mystery scolded. "I know Kaiba's stubbornness makes him oblivious to the truth, but he is very brilliant in mind and skill."

Emily looks away and apologizes. "It's just that I think Kaiba uses his head more than he uses his heart."

"The heart is where true wisdom lies," said the queen. "What Kaiba doesn't realize is that 'smart' and 'wise' aren't always the same thing. Kaiba has a great intellect and is a brilliant strategist, but there have been times when he has used his heart as well as his head. Think about the many times he went out of his way for his brother." That seemed to be the only time when Kaiba would be selfless and actually think about somebody else. At the same time, he also trusted in his own instincts and did what he thought was the right thing to do.

Emily agreed and lied back down. "I said this journey helped me to get to know Kaiba better as a person and I stand by that. And Kaiba may not see it, let alone believe it, but he made a lot of miracles happen for him and Mokuba." It was true. They lost their parents and were sent to live in an orphanage. And though they were adopted by a tyrant, Kaiba brought that life upon himself and his brother. But he promised to make everything better for them. Kaiba confessed that he wasn't proud of every decision he made, but he did it so that he and his brother would have better lives. And though they don't have a real family, they still have each other. And Kaiba continues to do so much for his little brother because he loves him.

"Like I said, Emily, you and your friends needed this journey. It helped you to not only discover your destinies, but also to learn and grow from each other."

"Mm-hmm," Emily says and yawns. "We did need this."

Mystery smiles and sighs. "Why don't I tell you another story about the past?"

"Yes, please. Tell me how you and Yami saved the world."

It happened shortly after Yami's duel with Seto. The kingdom was under attack by the Dark Lord's minions. One minion actually turned out to be one of the queen's friends. She came to the palace disguised in a hooded robe. "Queen Mystery," she called out.

The queen was surprised. "Max, you came."

"I have some terrible news."

"You cannot help me and my family?"

"If only I could," she answered. "But as a servant to the Dark Lord, I must carry out his wishes. All I can do is warn you that his ultimate beast is on the loose causing a rampage and will destroy not only the kingdom, but the entire world. Only you and your family can save us all. As your friend, I believe in you." Then she hears royal soldiers shouting, calling her a spy. "There's not much time. I must go."

It was just as she warned. The kingdom was under attack by the mighty beast born from the will of the Dark Lord. Leading the attack was the heir of the Dark Lord himself. His name was Bakura; the same evil spirit of the Millennium Ring. "The Great Goddess has fallen with her once prosperous kingdom. Everything belongs to the Dark Lord now. Only one task remains: I must kill the princess and destroy the Millennium Star."

Many of the royal soldiers and monsters tried to fight back, but they were no match for the Dark One's strength. They ended up being condemned to the Shadow Realm.

"No!" Max shouted.

"Stay out of my way, Max."

"I can't let you do this. Your Dark Lord may be mine as well, but Millennia's warriors are my friends and I will not let you hurt them!"

"Then you will join them in eternal darkness!" Bakura shouts and attacks her. Max escapes the attack, but ends up wounded in her gut. "I'll finish you off later. First I must deal with the royal family."

Max was in trouble. Since she was a magician in the arts of dark magic, she didn't know any healing spells. But she had to hold on for as long as she could. To save herself, she started sealing her spirit within the Cobalt Star shard she stole. When Max decided she wanted to help the royal family, she let them destroy the Cobalt Star in hopes that it would destroy Bakura as well. But it didn't work. Max decided to hold on to one shard in case she would need the Dark Lord's strength.

Mystery knew that Bakura was coming to attack her and her family. She also knew he would be coming to kill her daughter. "I will not let him kill her nor will I let him bring about more destruction. I must end this."

"No, my queen," Yami pleaded. "If you use the Millennium Star, you'll destroy yourself."

"It's our only hope, Pharaoh. Besides, saving the world and Emily's future is more important to me than anything else right now." She raises the Millennium Star in the air and cries out, "Millennium Power!" and a brilliant light shines all over the land.

"What is this!?" Bakura gasps. The light begins to destroy the Dark One. Yami still refuses to let his wife sacrifice herself, so he stops her and performs another spell to end this.

The scene ended for Mystery as she continued to explain the story. "I then understood what your father had done. He knew that if I continued to use the Millennium Star, I would have ended up destroying you as well, even if I was the one using it and giving it my strength. He didn't want that to happen to you. So instead of destroying the darkness, he imprisoned it within the Millennium Items."

"Is that how Yami lost his memories?"

The queen nods. "That's also how his spirit was sealed within the Millennium Puzzle. He knew the secret to releasing the dark magic, so he wiped his memory clean so it wouldn't have to be unleashed again. Bakura wanted to finish what he started, so he sealed his own spirit as well. And though the spirit of the Cobalt Star shard was his partner and did help him most of the time, she was also my friend. That was why she betrayed him. And for that, I owe her a great debt. For now, let me finish the rest of the story. Egypt was in ruin and I knew none of us could stay any longer. So I made a wish on the Millennium Star and used my last strength to seal my spirit inside of it."

The queen made a wish for everybody to start over again and live in happiness. She wanted the same for her daughter and prayed for her to live a long and happy life. "But I also knew there would come a time when Millennia would need her chosen warriors to save mankind again. Until that time would come, I wanted everyone to live better lives; away from the tragedies that befell me and my friends."

"And your wish came true," said Emily. "My friends and I were born as ordinary children and have lived that way. But now our time has come to face our destinies."

"And I sealed my spirit because I wanted to be able to watch over you from within the Millennium Star." But because the Star was destroyed, the queen's spirit lived in the half that was guarded by the Ishtars and didn't awaken until the shards reconnected. Only then would the queen be able to watch her daughter grow and mature and only then would she be able to guide her. "I was sad that I could no longer experience the joys of being a parent. And I am also sad that your father will never remember me or the times we shared together. But now, we are together again."

Emily nods. "And it's okay. Everything you guys did in the past was for all of us. And it really doesn't make much of a difference either. This all happened by the time I was born, so we were only just getting to know each other. Even now, I'm still getting to know my parents and they're getting to know me as well. That's why it's okay."

The queen smiles at her daughter's kind words. "Thank you."

"No, Mystery, thank _you_ for saving my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"I'm glad I'm finally being able to get to know my own daughter."

"And I'm glad I'm getting to know my mother," Emily returned. "And my father too."

Mystery giggles at that. "Get some sleep, dear. I will tell you another story another time."

"Okay," Emily yawns. "Good night, Mother."

"Good night, Emily," the queen says and kisses her daughter. Looking out the window, she saw her husband talking to Yugi. They were so close, yet so far apart. She really was sad that her husband wouldn't be able to remember her. But she was glad that he would be able to learn about his past. And it really was all right because Yami would be learning from Emily what she was learning from Mystery. It would also be all right to forget about the past and think about their children's future.

 _Emily has been doing well in learning about her ancient past and her destiny. But I'm afraid the more she unlocks her power, the easier it will be for her enemies to find her. This journey may have come to an end, but there will be more in the future. One day, Millennia's warriors will have to unite once again to save the world. My adventure is over, but Emily's has just begun. Yugi's adventures are far from finished as well._


	19. One More Trial

One More Trial

It was true that the journey had come to an end. Joey faced his challenges, but he still had one more trial to face. He proved his strength and loyalty which allowed him to awaken as one of Millennia's chosen warriors. Though he lost his duel to Kaiba, he didn't fail his challenge. He would keep trying until he and Kaiba would finally put everything aside and become friends. He would only fail if he quit and let Kaiba have his way. Joey made things right between him and Max and got her back. He also met the girl from his past and was promised he would always be under her protection. He found his element and did his best to represent it as its hero. But Joey had given himself one more challenge. It was true that he had come a long way. Now he had to prove it to the one who taught him everything. He had to face his best friend in a duel and earn back the power he gave him; the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Yugi and Joey agreed to meet each other downtown at dawn. Even Yugi and Yami knew that this last trial would be necessary. They would see how far Joey had come and if he was ready. The time was now and Yugi snuck out of his room with his coat and duel disk.

His grandfather saw him and asked, "Yugi, where do you think you're going this early in the morning?"

"Just out for a walk, Grandpa," Yugi lied. "I promise I won't be long."

Solomon rubbed his eyes and said, "All right, but come back soon. I don't want you skipping breakfast." Yugi promised he would and headed on his way downtown.

This trial was the prediction Yami and Emily received from the Great Goddess back in the finals. It was now time for this event to be played out.

The truth was, Joey would not be the hero of friendship without the people behind him. It was because of Yugi that he learned its value and true meaning. It was true that Yugi was reaching out to Joey as a friend, but he was also being true to his own element by showing courage.

Sometimes you have to be half crazy in order to really be brave. But you're less than half when doing something risky and dangerous for someone you care about, even if it means risking your life. Joey did that on the voyage to Duelist Kingdom when he tried to recover Yugi's Exodia cards. But he did that as an act of friendship more than an act of courage. He did the same thing once again when he rescued Yugi and Emily from the burning warehouse.

Joey knew his element before he became its hero. He displayed great loyalty and support through his cards in his best friend's deck. And it was because of this that the Great Goddess recognized Joey and chose him as one of her warriors and even set him free from Marik's control. And it was also because of Freya's love and support through the Red-Eyes Black Dragon as well. And Millennia continued to protect Joey from the shadows and give him her strength. He could have won his duel against Malik, but his task in the tournament had already been served. It was his destiny to help save the world, but only to help his friends; not fulfill their destinies for them. Now Joey knew that the Great Goddess wanted him to yield the match because he was pushed past his limits and that was enough for him. She appreciated his loyalty, but knew when it was time for one of her warriors to stop. Joey lost, but did not lose himself to the Shadow Realm.

It was also because Joey supported his friends in spirit that they could keep going. Yami put his faith in the Great Goddess and she kept her promise that Joey would come through and be okay again. Joey's support gave him the strength and courage he needed to face his foes. Even Joey himself promised that he would be back and now he was. The promise was fulfilled. All that was left was this final trial.

"We made it, Joey, but there's still one thing left to do," said Yami. "I still have something of yours."

Joey agreed. "And it's time for me to earn it back, pal."

"You're on."

"Of all the battles I've been through in the tournament, this one means the most."

"Let's duel!"


	20. Looking Back and Moving Ahead

Looking Back and Moving Ahead

No one knows what the future holds. But nothing is set in stone. Everyone just has to make the right choices in life. But to better prepare themselves, they must remember all that they learned in the past. That's one of the important things about creating memories. Lessons can be shared as well as the good and bad times. And this was exactly what Tea and Emily were doing as they were showing Serenity around the city; learning on their journey down memory lane. Serenity wanted to see the city once more and share everything she learned on the journey.

The first stop was the Domino museum where it all began. Now that the journey was over, the tablets were on display for the entire public. "Notice anything familiar?" Emily asked as she showed the girls the tablets.

"I do," Serenity gasped. "Those guys look like Yugi and Kaiba."

"Is this the stone tablet you were talking about?" Tea asked.

"It is," Emily answered. "This tablet depicts one of the greatest struggles in history. Kaiba was a sorcerer who betrayed the royal family and almost destroyed everything. The pharaoh, Yami, fought to save the sorcerer as well as the world because though they were fierce rivals, they were also close friends. Now if you'll turn your attention to the next tablet, you girls will be more surprised."

Tea and Serenity did look at the next tablet; the one with the image of the royal family. "It was because of this tablet that I discovered my role in this struggle. I learned that I was a princess."

"So then those are your parents?" Serenity asked.

Emily nods. "My mother and father, King Yami and Queen Mystery."

"Your mom is very pretty," said the auburn. "And she looks just like you." It was because of this that Serenity almost mistook Emily for the queen.

Tea remembered. "Emily, you also said that this was the place where you received the Millennium Star and awakened as a princess. What was it like?"

"It was scary," Emily answered. "But at the same time, it felt kind of comforting and normal." She remembered how it felt when the Millennium Star shards reconnected and how her body was changing. She placed her hand close to her chest and released the Millennium Star from her heart. The girls looked at it in amazement and said it was beautiful.

Emily returned the Millennium Star in her heart and continued, "After Yami and I learned about our origins, Ishizu warned us that history was repeating itself and we had to work together to save mankind."

"So that's why Yugi entered the Battle City tournament," said Serenity.

Emily nods. "And when Joey found out, he joined to help us."

The girls left the museum and Tea took them to the street in town where Joey had his first duel of the tournament. Emily remembered watching from the roof of one of the buildings. Serenity remembered because Tristan was providing her with the play-by-play since her eyes were healing from her surgery. This duel taught lessons about believing in oneself and remembering the support provided by friends and family even when they're far away.

The next stop was the Domino pier. It brought back a lot of bad memories, but it was one of the most important places to be. "This is where I saw Joey dueling for the first time," said Serenity.

"To tell you guys the truth, it was one of the worst days of my life," Tea said, remembering when Marik took over her mind and Joey's and forced him and Yugi into a dangerous fight. Emily felt the same way. She even told Tea the truth about what happened in the duel tower and that Marik's intentions were good that time. Instead of doing harm, he wanted to make things right.

The duel Marik forced Joey and Yugi into was like a living hell for everybody. But everyone who was trapped managed to come through. "It's a good thing your brother has such a strong head and a strong heart, or else he never would have broken free," Tea tells Serenity. "But it's not like I have to tell you that. You were there to see it for yourself."

Serenity knew what she meant. That was why this part of the journey was important to her. Though a lot of bad things were happening, some good things were too. This was the day Serenity took off her bandages and was finally able to see the world clearly for the first time. "Joey's bravery and Yugi's support gave me the courage I needed to take my bandages off. And you helped too, Emily. I could hear you helping my brother to never give up. Of course, I never could have imagined what happened next. When I took my bandages off and saw you using your powers to save Yugi and Joey, I thought you were an angel because of your wings. But now I know you're not an angel; you're a princess with amazing powers."

Emily felt flattered hearing that. "I just couldn't let a terrible fate befall two of my best friends. But I actually felt helpless most of the time because I couldn't rescue another one of my best friends. If I tried to do anything, Marik would have gotten all of us."

"Well, you did what you had to at the right moment," said Tea. "Plus, it's over and that's what counts. What also counts is that we were all reunited again." The girls nod in agreement.

"This was actually good for Joey because it helped him to awaken as one of Millennia's chosen warriors," said Emily. "All thanks to his bond with his friends. The Great Goddess recognized Joey's strength and loyalty and set him free. And she continued to protect him from Marik's evil forces." The auburn and the brunette understood what Emily was talking about. Joey had actually even told them about it right after everyone went home.

"That's right," said Serenity. "My brother was chosen by this goddess to help save the world. He also said that you and Yugi are too."

"We may be her chosen warriors, but her light shines inside all of us and gives us strength. Even inside you guys," the blonde told her friends.

Tea liked hearing what Emily was saying because it made her feel like she wasn't being left out of anything. "You know, because of that, I thought the insanity would finally be over. Boy, was I wrong."

Emily shakes her head. "That was just one of Marik's opening acts. The insanity wasn't even at its climax; especially when the Battle City finals began." It was there where duels weren't games, but battles of life and death with all the shadow magic and the powers of the Gods.

The breeze in the air made Tea and Serenity feel chilly. Emily didn't feel a thing, but she agreed that it was time to leave the pier. They still had more to see.

The girls came to the park and watched some younger kids playing Duel Monsters. It was nice to see the game they loved being played like it really was a game for a change. "I bet these kids want to grow up to be champion duelists," said Serenity.

"And thanks to KaibaCorp, they can get all the practice they need," said Emily. "Because now these virtual duels can happen anywhere."

As Serenity watched, she told the girls, "It's so cute to see kids dueling and having fun."

That made Tea remember something unpleasant about the journey. Rather _someone_ unpleasant. "Sorry, I was just thinking about that kid Noah. He was anything but cute."

Emily and Serenity both understood what Tea meant. They also remembered the trouble Kaiba's stepbrother put them through in the virtual world. What was a game turned out to be an epic adventure filled with danger at every turn. But it wasn't like Noah knew what he was doing half the time. Being in the virtual world for so long distorted and corrupted his mind; giving him the mistake that he could control everything with whatever knowledge or power he thought he had.

Even Tea knew that. That was why she said, "But it wasn't his fault. Noah was bitter because he was lonely and no longer the person he once was because he no longer had the life he knew."

Serenity agreed. "He was just bitter because he was alone for so long without any friends or even a family."

"His mind was uploaded into his virtual world, but his heart was left behind with his body to perish," Emily added. "That was the real thing he was missing. Now I think I know how Noah knew what needed to be done at the last minute. By uploading his mind into Mokuba's body, he was sentient again. But only for a brief moment. But that brief moment was enough for him to really be human and remember all he had forgotten: love and understanding. It was like he got back the heart he lost."

"I think you're right, Emily," said Tea. "That's how he realized he was wrong in the end."

Serenity nods. "He even got to feel like what it was like to have friends."

The girls refocused their attention on the duels and agreed that the kids were kind of cute. But they were only dueling for fun. Everyone in Battle City dueled for far higher stakes. Tea and Emily were having a lot of fun taking Serenity with them down memory lane and sharing everything they learned. But they still had many wonders about the future. Battle City was over and Yami and Yugi now have everything they need. What will become of them now?

"Tea, Emily," Serenity was saying. "Thank you both. I know you didn't have to go out of your way to show me around the city, but you did and it meant so much to me."

"You're very welcome," said Emily.

Tea looks down at her watch. It was now 2:00 in the afternoon. "Oh, no, is it that time already?"

The auburn girl gasped. "Did you girls have someplace to be? I didn't realize I was going to mess up your plans. I wish you would have told me so I wouldn't have to drag you both around town."

Tea pulled herself together. "It's okay, we're not that late." _But Emily and I have to hurry. Before long, Yugi could start a new journey or may even be gone forever. I mean, who knows where fate's going to take him next?_

But it was time for Serenity to go anyway. She needed to catch the next train home. But she promised she wouldn't be so far away. "Don't worry, I'll be close. It's like Joey always says: we're connected together by a special bond of friendship that can never break."

"And he would know," said Emily. "He is the hero of friendship, after all." And she and Serenity shook hands and hugged each other.

Serenity did the same thing to Tea and said, "Now I feel like I'm one of you guys!"

"But you've always been one of us," said the brunette, "ever since we first met you."

Emily agreed. "And that means we'll never be far apart."

"Goodbye for now, girls," the auburn told the blonde and brunette. "And next time you see Max, please give my regards to her as well."

"We will, Serenity. Goodbye," Tea and Emily said and they all went their separate ways. It was true. No matter how far apart friends may be, they'll still be together in each other's hearts.

Tea and Emily went to the square where Yugi was waiting for them. They wanted to spend a few for moments together as friends before the next journey. And as Emily said, she and her father are still only getting to know each other. Even Tea wanted to spend a bit more time with Yami. Even though the girls know they'll always be friends no matter what happens, they're not ready for either of them to go away yet. They decided to enjoy the time they would have together now and not worry about the future until it would come.


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

One adventure was finished, but many more were yet to come. Now that all of Millennia's chosen warriors have awakened, they must unite to keep their world safe from the forces of darkness. But they still remain divided after finally coming to understand their destinies and ties to the ancient past. They would never truly become the warriors of destiny until they had faced their challenges. And this adventure was essential for all of them to take their first steps.

Joey knew his destiny before he even knew he was one of the Great Goddess' chosen warriors. He joined the tournament to help his friends save the world from darkness. But that didn't mean that he had to be the one to defeat Marik. That was Yugi's destiny. His role in the struggle was to help his friends in every way that he could. Joey may not have fulfilled his destiny as he thought he would, but he still did it. And he reached out to those who needed him. Joey may not have a Millennium Item either, but Millennia's light still shines inside of him to give him strength. He also has the support of his friends and Freya's love for him to see him through.

Kaiba may continue to stubbornly deny his ancient heritage, but he did many things in the tournament that represented his element. Like his ancestor, Kaiba was a skilled intellectual and a brilliant strategist, carefully planning every action for every fight to ensure victory and success. He may use his head more than his heart, but whatever crazy action Kaiba takes, he does it for the good of the people around him. He may not believe it either, but he helped Yugi by organizing this tournament and drawing out Marik and the Rare Hunters, helping him on the road to fulfilling his destiny. And he continued to help Yugi along the road in his own unusual way.

Emily is still only beginning to understand the magic of the Millennium Star, but she has her mother's guidance and is learning more from her every day. By getting to know herself and her friends better, her heart has gotten softer. And though she didn't do much in this journey, it was all right because she was still only learning and her adventures have only just begun. Emily even thought about giving the Millennium Rod to Kaiba. But then again, knowing him, she knew it would be wise if she and Yugi held onto it along with the rest of their Items.

It's because of the people around him that Yugi is becoming stronger and braver. He gives so much to his friends and is able to gain just as much in return. There are still many mysteries about the past that Yami wishes to unlock, but he continues to learn. And though he may not remember what kind of person he was before or the people he knew, what matters is who he is today. He may not remember much, but he knows the many links between the past and the future.

None of Millennia's chosen warriors know what the future has in store for them, but they'll face whatever comes their way. The past may not be entirely behind them, but that's all right because many precious memories are buried in their hearts along with everything they learned along the way. And those memories and lessons will take every one of them far in life and help them face their challenges. Battle City may be over, but their adventures are far from finished.


End file.
